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Class _&_£_S__ 
Copyright WJ3JiA 

CHEffUGHT DEPOSIT. 



Heroes of Early 
American History 



BY 

ALBERT LINDSAY ROWLAND, A. M., Ph. D. 

SOMETIME UNIVERSITY FELLOW FOR RESEARCH IN HIS- 
TORY, UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA; MEMBER OF THE 
AMERICAN HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION, THE PENNSYL- 
VANIA HISTORICAL SOCIETY, THE PHILADELPHIA CITY 
HISTORY SOCIETY; DIRECTOR, THE TEACHER BUREAU, 
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION, HARRISBURG 




PHILADELPHIA 

FRANKLIN PUBLISHING COMPANY 






To 

My Father 

whose fine sympathy has 

been a constant 

inspiration. 



DEC 21 !920 



Copyright, 1918 

Copyright, 1920, by 

Franklin Publishing and Supply Company 

Philadelphia 



©CI.A605080 



* PREFACE 



This is a history reader for the Fourth Grade. Written 
primarily for Pennsylvania school children, there is an em- 
phasis on characters and incidents connected with the early 
history of Pennsylvania that would be overbearing in a 
book of more general appeal. 

The report of the Committee of Eight of the American 
Historical Association outlining a course of study in History 
for the elementary grades was promptly recognized as a 
sound basis for the development of modern and progressive 
curricula. The Pennsylvania state course of study as well 
as the more detailed syllabus prepared for the Philadelphia 
schools, with the preparation of which it was my pleasure and 
privilege to be closely identified, both show the influence of 
this report. 

This book is, first, a testimony to my firm belief in and 
hearty approval of the new point of view expressed in these 
syllabi and my intense interest in its successful operation; 
and, second, is an effort to gather in one book all the material, 
widely scattered and in some cases obscure, which this grade 
requires. 

That most children have a strong dislike for the study of 
history is a severe criticism of the methods employed in the 
past with a subject that should be of transcendent interest 
to all boys and girls. 



PREFACE 



The fault has been chiefly in the kind of results which 
the teaching sought to secure. Scores of dry facts, mean- 
October, 1920. 



CONTENTS 



PART ONE 

EXPLORERS 



PAGE 

Leif the Lucky 7 

Christopher Columbus 15 

John and Sebastian Cabot 31 

Juan Ponce de Leon 35 

Hernando de Soto 38 

Fernando Magellan 43 

Sir Francis Drake 46 

Sir Walter Raleigh 53 

Samuel Champlain 60 

Henry Hudson 69 

John Smith 76 



PART TWO 



colonists 

Miles Standish 97 

Roger Williams 114 

New England Settlers and the Indians 119 

Lord Baltimore ] 25 

Peter Stuyvesant 131 

William Penn 135 

The Colonists and the Indians 158 

James Oglethorpe 169 

George Washington 175 

Benjamin Franklin 190 

Life in the Colonies 209 

Homes of the People 209 

Preparing Meals 212 

Dress 214 

Traveling in the Colonies 217 

Schools 221 

5 




Virginians under Washington cover Braddock's retreat. 



HEROES OF 
EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 



LEIF THE LUCKY 

THE DARING ICELANDER 

The Norsemen. — Far to the north in what is now 
Norway and Sweden there once lived a brave wild people, 
called Norsemen or Northmen. Sometimes they were called 
"Vikings." They dressed in skins and furs and wore their 
hair long. As they lived a great deal in the open air, they 
grew to be large and strong. They lived for the most 
part near the sea and so they learned to be great sailors. 
They built their own ships and launched them on the 
rough waters of the Atlantic Ocean. These ships were 
long and low in the water and were driven both by sails 
and oars. At the front of each ship was a high prow upon 
which was carved a figure. This was usually the head of 
some wild beast that glared fiercely over the water and was 
supposed to frighten any enemies they met in battle. The 
Norsemen often made long voyages in their Viking ships 
stopping on some distant coast to burn and plunder the 
towns and to kill the people there. So savage and sudden 
were these attacks that few were able to withstand them. 

7 



8 



HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 



In England, France, and other countries mothers often 
taught their children to pray to be delivered from the fury 
of the Norsemen. 

The Settlement of Iceland. — The country in which they 
lived was cold and bare and mountainous so that it was not 
very profitable to till the soil. This led many Norsemen to 
seek other lands. Then too, they were so quick tempered 




A Viking Ship. 

and so independent in spirit that their kings had much 
trouble ruling over them. Sometimes when the king in- 
sisted that his laws must be obej^ed, rather than do so, 
many of the nobles would gather their friends and followers 
upon a ship and set out for some distant shore where they 
might live as they pleased. One of the places settled in this 
way was a large island many hundred miles west of Norway 
which the settlers first called Snowland but which was 



LEIF THE LUCKY 9 

later named what we call it to-day — Iceland. You and I 
would not select such a place to make a home but we must 
remember that these Norsemen were used to cold and ice 
and snow. They probably found Iceland little different 
from their own country. 

Eric the Red. — One of the men who came to Iceland 
had fled from his home because he had fought with a man 
there and had killed him. He was a great tall fellow with a 
red beard and red hair and, as his name was Eric, he was 
called "Eric the Red." He had brought his family and 
his followers with him and they settled down among the 
other Norsemen who had come to Iceland. But Eric 
was a troublesome fellow and it was not long 
before he began to have disputes with his neigh- 
bors. He was forced to move to another part of 
the island which his people called Ericstad after 
their leader. 

Eric Quarrels with His Neighbors. — One day 
Eric loaned one of his neighbors some "sea-posts," a Battle 
probably short masts for ships or perhaps posts 
to be driven into the shore in shallow water to which boats 
might be fastened. At any rate, as with many things which 
are borrowed and loaned, a dispute arose over these sea- 
posts. Eric's neighbors all took sides, some for and some 
against him. The matter became so serious that the case 
was brought before the court and after hearing both sides 
the court decided against Eric. He was declared an out- 
law which meant that he could no longer live in Iceland. 

The Discovery of Greenland. — He got ready his ship 




10 HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 

and with his followers set sail to the westward. Eric had 
heard rumors of a land to the west and he determined to 
find this land and settle there. It took great courage for 
these men to sail away from their homes in an open boat. 
They were not likely to return and had very little idea 
of where they were going. Now-a-days when men take 
ocean voyages they travel in great ships that are more like 
hotels than boats. They are as safe as railway trains and in 
peaceful times, just as likely to reach their destination. Not 
so was it with Eric the Red and his band of hardy followers 
but their courage carried them through, as cour- 
age so often does. They at last came in sight 
of the land they had heard of, lying green and 
low upon the horizon. They called it "Green- 
land" and we call it Greenland to-day. There 
they settled and from time to time others joined 
them from Iceland and elsewhere. Eric ruled 
over them all in his rough way for many years. 
Leif Ericson. — Now Eric had a son, Leif, 
who grew to be a man, tall and strong, with fearless blue 
eyes like his father. Very early in his life he learned to 
sail a boat. Leif made many voyages, sometimes with his 
father and sometimes alone with his men, for he was a leader 
among the people of Greenland. 

Leif Hears of a New Land. — One day there came to 
Greenland to the great hall of Eric the Red, a Norseman 
named Bjorni. He, too, had been a sailor and had trav- 
elled to many strange lands. When dinner was over and 
they had gathered round the big fire-place, young Leif 




LEIF THE LUCKY 11 

listened breathlessly to the tale Bjorni told of a land to the 
west of Greenland to which he had once been driven by a 
storm. No one had ever spoken of this land before and Leif 
resolved to go there and see the land for himself. 

The Discovery of North America. — So Leif bought Bjor- 
ni's ship and engaged thirty-five men to man it. He and his 
companions then set sail for the unknown land to the west. 
After sailing many days they came to the land that Bjorni 
had last seen, a land like a plain of flat stones from the sea 
to the mountains. Ice and snow were everywhere and, as 
Leif said, the land appeared to have no good qualities. He 
called it "Helluland" and we know to-day that it was New- 
foundland at which Leif and his men stopped so many years 
ago. Sailing further south they came to a white sandy 
beach beyond which grew a thick dark woods. Leif named 
this "Markland" and it is now called Nova Scotia. Still 
more to the south they sailed between an island and the 
mainland into a bay. This place was so pleasant that Leif 
determined to leave the ship and spend the winter there. 
So they anchored their ship and built houses for themselves 
on the shore. 

Vinland. — One of Leif Ericson's men was a German who 
had not always lived in the cold lands of the North. One 
day when they came in to dinner this German was missing. 
Leif was troubled for this man had been a friend of his 
father's and he had known him since childhood. A search 
party was at once formed and they set out to look for their 
lost companion. When they at last saw him he came to- 
ward them reeling and speaking in a thick voice that they 



12 



HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 



could not understand. Leif saw at once that he had lost 
his wits but he could not tell why he was in this condition. 
After several hours, however, the man was able to tell how 
he had come upon vines laden with grapes rich and wild. 

The story goes 



on to tell that 
he drank so 
much of the 
juice of these 
grapes that he 
was unable to 
find his way 
back to his 
friends. At 
first no one 
believed what 
he told them 
of the grapes 

as no grapes grew in the cold country from which they 
had come. He knew that he spoke the truth, for he 
had often seen grapes in his native Germany. Later they 
gathered so many grapes that they filled the small boat 
which they used in going' to and from the ship and grapes 
formed part of the cargo which they took back to Green- 
land. For this reason Leif called this country "Vinland" 
or the land of vines and wine. Of course we know that 
grape juice is not intoxicating but the story is interesting 
and shows why the land was called Vinland. From the 
descriptions which they have left we now know that they 




Leif Ericson's Return to Greenland. 



LEIF THE LUCKY 



13 



had sailed along the southern coast of Massachusetts and 
had wintered on the fertile shores of Rhode Island. 

When the Spring came Leif and his followers again took 
to their ship and returned to their home in Greenland. 
There they told of their voyage and the 
beautiful land which they had found 
with its self-sown fields of grain and 
its abundance of wild grapes. 

Leif Ericson Called "The Lucky." 
— Leif was now a very important man. 
He had much wealth and influence and 
was looked up to by all the people who 
called him Leif, "the Lucky," because 
of his fortunate adventures. Profes- 
sional singers called "skalds" made the 
tale of his voyage into a rude song or 
"saga." This they sang to entertain 
the people as they went from place 
to place. 

Other Voyages to the New Land. — Thorvald Ericson, 
Leif s younger brother, made a later voyage to Vinland. 
Some years after that a young man, Thorfinn Karlsefne, 
took a small fleet of vessels and a considerable band of men 
and visited all the lands of which Leif had told. They 
settled there for a time and fought with the Indians whom 
they called "Skraelings." They were not successful as they 
had no guns and could not fight against so many Indians. 

The Memory of These Discoveries Becomes Lost. — As 
long as Leif lived and for many years after his death the 




Lief Ericson, after the 
Statue on Commonwealth 
Avenue, Boston. 



14 HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 

people talked of the wonderful land of grapes and grain 
which lay far to the southwest. Gradually voyages to 
Vinland ceased and at length the people of Greenland were 
themselves attacked and conquered by Eskimos. These 
were fierce savages from the northwest whose descendants 
still live in Greenland. For five hundred years after Leif's 
time we know of no white man who sailed to the shores of 
North America. For all those years the Red Indian was 
left undisturbed in his possession of the land. 




Viking Helmet. 



CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS 



A GREAT GEOGRAPHER 

A Genoese Boy. — If you had been a sailor and had sailed 
the Mediterranean Sea a great many years ago you would 
have visited at some time or another the city of Genoa. 
This was then one of 
the greatest seaports 
of the world. As 
your ship anchored 
in the harbor you 
would have seen 
about you hundreds 
of other ships of all 
kinds and from every 
known country in the 
world. Swift Vene- 
tian galleys with 
their graceful lines 
and their long oars; stately Spanish galleons with high 
decks and tall spars; fast Portuguese caravels, from the 
Atlantic beyond the "Pillars of Hercules"; Moorish craft 
from the African shore; and Turkish corsairs with their 
crescent flags. All these would have been before your 
very eyes as the ship's boat, that was to take you ashore, 
was lowered into the water. When you reached the 

15 




The Boy Columbus. 



16 HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 

wharf you would have had to pick your way through 
quantities of merchandise piled all about you. Carpets, 
silks, casks of wine, bales of cotton cloth, barrels of oil 
packages of cinnamon and pepper and spices, boxes of jew- 
elry, gold and precious stones; all the rich products of the 
wonderful East brought to the city of Genoa to be sold to 
the rest of the world. Had you looked about very sharply 
you might have seen a boy with dark hair and clear blue 
eyes, intently watching the busy scene around him. Had 
you seen that boy you would have seen Christopher Co- 
lumbus who was to become the discoverer of America. 
The Boy Becomes a Sailor.— He was the son of a wool- 
comber of Genoa. In those days wool had to be combed by 
hand before it was ready to be spun. Wool combing was 
a regular trade like weaving and tailoring. Young Chris- 
topher after going to school for some years had been put 
to work helping his father comb wool. The boy cared 
little for this and would far rather go to the docks. There 
he could watch the ships arrive from the East with their 
precious cargoes, or laden with other goods, sail away to 
unknown lands. He longed to be a sailor and share in those 
adventurous voyages. After some years his father allowed 
him to go. Then we find him sailing the Mediterranean 
and at length going to live with his brother Bartholomew 
in Lisbon, the chief city of Portugal. The Portuguese were 
at this time the greatest sailors in the whole world and 
Columbus made many voyages with them. At one time 
he went far down the African coast ; at another he sailed to 
England. At still another time it is said he visited distant 



CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS 17 

Iceland where Leif Ericson had lived so many years before. 
He may have heard there of Leif s voyage of which we have 
already read, but if he did, he never said anything about it. 

Columbus Believes the World is Round Like a Ball. — 
However, he soon began to think of sailing westward across 
that unknown sea, a voyage that not even the adventurous 
Portuguese sailors had yet dared to take. When on shore" 
Columbus made charts and maps for other sailors to use. 
Of course, he did much thinking about the position of the 
continents and the shape of the earth. Most people at this 
time believed the world to be flat like a pancake. Although 
no one had ever had the courage to try to prove this theory, 
certain learned men had said that the world was round like 
a ball. Columbus agreed with them and was willing to 
risk his reputation and even his life to attempt to prove 
that he was right. He believed that you could sail straight 
west from Portugal right around the world and come to 
India. This is exactly what everyone would have liked 
to do. 

Trade Routes Gl „***>& - 

to the East are "S^'^ 

Closed.— W hen ' L .7'<'-^mMM^^w\ ' JPQf 

Columbus was &fi . WwM{/w^Ym: : :': \/H >^|k 

only seven years "''** !1 - : -vW''.4 

old the Turks, a '^ " ' : -- f MkL 

rude savage peo- A Caravan - 

pie, had captured the city of Constantinople. After that it 

was no longer easy to bring goods from the east. The Turks 

would rob the caravans on land, and their pirate ships would 



18 HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 

capture the merchant vessels that attempted to go by sea. 
If people could have reached India and China and Japan 
by sailing westward they need not have feared the Turks. 

The Riches of Cathay. — To strengthen his belief Colum- 
bus had received a letter from a very famous scientist of 
the city of Florence named Toscanelli to whom he had 
written. Toscanelli told Columbus he certainly could 
reach Cepango and Cathay, as Japan and China were then 
called. He told, too, about the wealth and beauty of the 
cities there, of the gold and silver and precious stones, of 
the wise men and great kings. This made Columbus feel 
that he could never be happy until he had proved his theory 
and had visited these wonderful lands. 

Columbus Seeks Aid for His Plan. — Columbus was now 
a man of more than thirty years of age. His hair had 
turned white and this, together with his tall dignified bear- 
ing, made him appear a very important person. His dis- 
tinguished appearance and his high character had won for 
him, notwithstanding his lowly birth, the daughter of a 
prominent Portuguese noble for his wife. He was thus 
able to get the king of Portugal to listen to his plan. 

But Columbus insisted that he should be made ruler of 
all the lands which he might discover and should have a 
large share of all the gold and silver which might be found 
there. This the king was unwilling to grant and Columbus 
made his plea in vain. 

The King of Portugal Makes an Experiment. — Mean- 
while, the king sent out a secret expedition to cross the un- 
known ocean to see if India were really there as Columbus 



CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS 



19 



said it was. The sailors on this expedition were filled with 
? ear. They had heard frightful tales of sea-serpents and 
iangers from storms and calms so that they had scarcely 
sailed out of sight of land when they became too terrified to 
proceed further and hastily turned back. When they 
-eached home they spread such 
ireadful tales of the monsters they 
tiad seen that the king gave up all 
idea of sending an expedition. Sail- 
ers all over Portugal were now 
greatly afraid of the dangers of the 
unknown sea. 

Columbus Goes to Spain. — When 
Columbus heard what the king had 
ione he was very angry. He left 
his wife and children and went to 
Spain, hoping to persuade the king 
ind queen of that country to do 
what he had asked of the king of 
Portugal. For five years he re- 
gained at the Spanish court serv- 
ng as a map-maker and trying to 
nterest someone in his scheme. He 
lid at last succeed in having two 
councils of learned men called to listen to his theories. 
\iter hearing his arguments, each decided against him and 
n disgust he returned to Portugal. He arrived in time to 
;ee the triumphant return of Bartholomew Dias. This was 
i famous Portuguese sailor who had just succeeded in sailing 




Columbus Statue at Madrid, 
Spain. 



20 HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 

round the cape of Good Hope at the southern point of 
Africa, and north into the Indian Ocean. Tins news was 
greeted with great rejoicing in Lisbon and Columbus be- 
came more determined than ever to try his way to reach the 
Indies. Portugal would give him no help, however, so he 
persuaded his brother, Bartholomew, to go to England and 
seek aid there. Columbus, himself, intended to try his for- 
tune at the court of the king of France. 

A Friend at Last. — All the time that other men had been 
winning comfort for themselves Columbus had been dream- 
ing dreams and he was now poor and wretched. His wife 
had died, he was without money and almost without 
friends, yet his heart was strong, his eye steadfast and Ins 
tread firm. He still believed that any country that would 
aid his plans would become rich. So he started off on foot, 
with his little son, Diego, to try to get the French king to 
listen to his plans. Not far from Palos, the port at which he 
meant to take ship for France, he stopped for rest and food 
at the convent of La Rabida. The Prior or head of the 
convent was struck by the fine face and noble bearing of 
the stranger and began to talk with him. Columbus 
described his belief that the world was round and his idea 
of crossing the Atlantic Ocean to India. He told of his 
unsuccessful attempts to gain aid from Spain and Portugal 
and said he was now on his way to France to give to that 
country the opportunity the others had declined. The 
Prior was much interested. It happened that he had at 
one time been a close friend of Queen Isabella and he under- 
took to present Columbus' cause once more to the Queen. 



CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS 



21 



He was so far successful that she sent money for Columbus 
to journey to the court so that he once more laid his plan 
before the king and queen of Spain. He was so insistent, 
however, that he be given such high honor and great power 
in the new land he was to discover that he was again dis- 
missed. 

Aid is Secured for the Attempt. — He had bought a mule 
with the money the queen had given him and mounting 




The Departure — Columbus Leaving Spain. 

this animal he again set out for France. One of the court 
gentlemen was greatly impressed with Columbus and his 
plan and he showed the queen that she had all to gain 
and nothing to lose in giving Columbus the honors for 
which he asked. If there was no land where Columbus said 
there was, his titles would be empty. If he should discover 



22 



HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 



a new land there would still be much profit for Spain. At 
length she was persuaded, and a swift messenger was sent 
after Columbus to command his return to the court. His 
terms were accepted and preparations were at once made to 
fit out an expedition. 

The Expedition is Made Ready. — The king and queen 
were very poor at this time but the royal treasurer loaned 

their share of the nec- 
essary money. Some 
friends of the good 
prior of the convent 
of La Rabida ad- 
vanced the share 
which Columbus had 
to provide. There 
was much trouble in 
finding sailors who 
were willing to go. 
The tales which had 
been spread about 
the sea-serpents were 
still well known and it was finally necessary to compel men 
to go on Columbus' ships. Some of the criminals in prison 
were given their freedom provided they would go on the 
voyage. The ships were not vessels in which you or I 
would care to take a long sea voyage. Only one, the larg- 
est, called the Santa Maria, had a deck covering the whole 
ship. The smallest, the Nina, meaning the ''Baby/' had 
no deck at all and was simply an open boat not much larger 




Columbus' Ships. 



CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS 23 

than a big rowboat. The sailors might well have been 
afraid to sail in such craft even if there had been no tales of 
dreadful dangers they would encounter. 

The First Voyage. — However, after a good deal of de- 
lay, they were ready to sail and on the 4th of August, 1492, 
they lifted anchor and sailed out of the harbor of Palos. 
The two smaller vessels, the Pinta and the Nina, were in 
command of the Pinzon brothers, two sturdy seamen of 
Palos. The flagship, the Santa Maria, was commanded by 
the Admiral, as Columbus was now called. A delay of 
several weeks at the Canary Islands further held back the 
voyage but at last even this bit of land became dim on the 
eastern horizon. Many of the sailors wept as they saw 
it disappear knowing they would now have to face the un- 
known terrors which they so dreaded. 

The False Log. — Each day all were anxious to know 
how far from home they had sailed. Columbus soon re- 
alized that, if the distance became too great, his sailors 
might be unwilling to continue the voyage. He there- 
fore arranged with his captains to announce each day a 
distance less than the number of miles they had actually 
sailed. By this means they appeared to be closer to their 
homes than they really were. Fortunately for Columbus 
the weather was fine and signs of land were appearing to 
urge them to sail on. Birds not thought to be able to fly 
far from land; a carved stick floating on the water; a drizzling 
rain without wind; a great cloud on the northern horizon; 
all of these they believed to be signs of the nearness of land. 

Fortune Favors the Brave Admiral. — It took very little 



24 



HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 



to frighten the sailors, however. For days a gentle breeze 
had been blow ing steadily westward and there was much fear 
that it would never blow the other way to bring them home 
again. But on Thursday the twenty-second of September a 
contrary wind arose and their fears were calmed. Another 
time they became alarmed because the sea remained so calm 

they feared the 
ships would reach 
a point where they 
would remain with- 
out moving until 
they and their 
crews rotted away. 
Fortune again fa- 
vored Columbus 
for the next day 
the sea was rough 
and the waves 
towered high 
above the # ships. 
Sea-weed, which 
they at first took to be a sign of land, became so thick that 
they feared it would entangle the vessels and hold them 
fast. The ships sailed on and the sea-weed grew less and less. 
Land Discovered. — A reward of money from the king 
and queen and a silk coat from the Admiral, had been 
offered to the sailor who would first discover land. Every 
sailor wanted to win these rewards. Now and again some- 
one would shout "Land" but it would prove to be no more 




Columbus Sighting the New World. 



CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS 



25 



than a cloud lying low in the west. At last, on the eleventh 
of October, sailors on the Pinta saw a piece of sugar-cane, 
then a pole and later a small board floating on the water. 
The Nina's crew saw a branch with berries on it. These were 
unmistakable signs of land and all hands watched eagerly for 
the first real glimpse of the shores they sought. Just about 




Landing of Columbus — from the painting by Vanderlyn, in the Capitol at 

Washington. 

dawn of the next day, which was the twelfth of October, a 
sailor on the Pinta saw the land. His name was Rodrigo de 
Triana and you may be sure he received the reward 
although the Admiral said that he himself had seen a light 
the night before which must have come from the same shore. 
The Landing. — When daylight came Columbus pre- 



26 



HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 



pared to go ashore. Dressed in his handsomest suit and 
accompanied by his officers bearing the cross of the Church 
and the royal flag of Spain, he stepped upon the beach. 
Taking the flag in his hand he took possession of the land 
for the king and queen of Spain. Behind him stood the 
captains, each with a green banner bearing a large cross 
with an F. and a Y. and a crown over each letter, one on 
each side of the cross. These letters stood for Ferdinand 
and Isabella, spelled "Ysabella" in those days, the king and 
queen of Spain. 

Columbus Calls the Natives, "Indians." — The natives 

who had at first 
fled into the woods 
now ventured out 
to see these won- 
derful beings with 
white faces and 
strange clothes. 
They thought the 
white men had 
come from heaven 
on the backs of 
great birds, for 
such they be- 
lieved the ships 
These natives wore little 
They were of a gentle 




Buying Food from the Indians. 



with their many sails to be 

clothing and carried no weapons 

disposition and Columbus gave orders that no harm be 

done them. He gave them red caps and glass beads to 



CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS 27 

put round their necks and tried to talk to them by means 
of signs and gestures. He was disappointed in not finding 
them dressed in costly silks and wearing gold ornaments 
as he had heard the people of India dressed. However, he 
never doubted that this was India so he called the people 
Indians. We still call them by this name. The Indians 
tried to tell Columbus of another people greater and richer 
than they who lived further to the west and the Admiral 
believed he would there find the wealth he was seeking. 

A Settlement is Made. — He sailed on and discovered 
the islands of Cuba and Hayti but two things happened 
which made him hasten back to Spain. The captain and 
crew of the Pinta had deserted the Admiral and had sailed 
away hoping to be the first to bring the good news home, and 
the Santa Maria had been wrecked on the shore of Hayti. 
This left only the little Nina, the smallest of the three 
ships. Columbus, fearing something might happen to her, 
too, which would prevent his ever getting back to Spain, 
determined to return at once. As the vessel was far too 
small to hold all the men, it was necessary that about 
forty of them should stay on the island of Hayti until Co- 
lumbus could come back with a larger ship. A fort was 
built and food and provisions enough to last a year were 
given to the men who said they would remain. Then Co- 
lumbus, taking with him six Indians, several parrots and a 
quantity of other things as proof of the lands he had dis- 
covered, set sail for Spain. Three days later the Pinta 
appeared but again deserted during a heavy storm and 
actually reached the coast of Spain before Columbus. But 



28 



HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 



the king and queen would not receive the Pinta's captain 
until the Admiral had arrived so he was not allowed to rob 
Columbus of the credit of his discovery. 

The Return. — On the way back Columbus first touched 
at Lisbon in Portugal. There he was highly honored by 
the officers of the king of Portugal where he had been 
denied help so many years before. He then sailed on to 
Spain where he disembarked and journeyed to the city 
of Barcelona. He was received there by 
the king and queen with all honor. The 
streets were hung with flags and the Ad- 
miral, riding on a handsome steed and es- 
corted by officers of the crown and his 
faithful followers, marched to the palace 
through the shouting, admiring crowds. 
The king and queen treated him as a great 
noble bidding him be seated in their pres- 
ence and listening with all respect and much 
interest to the tale of his discovery. The 
whole country united in praising him. 
The Second Voyage. — Men were now eager to sail with 
the great Admiral. Fifteen ships formed the second expedi- 
tion. Besides sailors and soldiers there were many gentle- 
men who wished to make their fortunes in the new world. 
When the fleet reached Navidad, the name Columbus had 
given to the fort built on the island of Hayti for the men 
who were left behind on the first voyage, they found it 
empty with no signs of the men. They had not treated 
the natives kindly as Columbus had ordered them to do. 




Armor Worn by 
Columbus — Royal 
Palace, Madrid. 



CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS 



29 



/ 



Their actions had been so brutal that the Indians rose up 
against the Spaniards and slew them all. A new city was 
now established and named after Queen Isabella. Three 
years were spent in building up the colony and exploring 
the neighboring islands. There were many quarrels among 
the leaders, however, and all were jealous of Columbus and 
his authority. The Admiral was not as good a ruler as he 
was a discoverer. He was brave and fearless but he did 
not have the ability to 
rule over other people. 
He soon saw that things 
were not going well and 
determined to return to 
Spain and lay his case 
before the king and 
queen. He arrived in 
Spain in 1496, three 
years after he sailed 
on his second voyage. 
There he found power- 
ful nobles who talked 
against him to the king and queen. It was two years before 
he was allowed to return to his lands in the new world. 

The Third Voyage. — His third voyage was very event- 
ful. He discovered the mainland of South America but 
quarrelled so with the Spanish colonists that they com- 
plained of him to the king and queen who sent a man out 
to the colony to investigate the charges. This man was 
unfriendly to Columbus and sent him back to Spain under 




Columbus in Chains. 



30 HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 

arrest with chains on his hands and feet. Though he was 
released as soon as he arrived and restored to the favor of 
the king and queen the shame of having been under arrest 
was so painful to the Admiral that he never entirely re- 
covered. 

The Disappointment and Death of Columbus. — Al- 
though he allowed him to retain the title of Admiral, the 
king now realized that Columbus would not make a good 
ruler and refused to restore him to the command of the 
colonies which he had founded. This hurt Columbus 
deeply and he never ceased to seek to be restored to the 
power which was taken from him. In 1502 he made 
another voyage, this time exploring the coast of Central 
America, but in returning to the settlement at Hayti his 
ship was wrecked on the island of Jamaica and he and 
the crew almost perished before help was sent to them. 
At last he returned to Spain which he reached only a short 
time before the death of his best friend, Queen Isabella. 
There w r as now no one to plead his cause and, sick and 
disappointed, he himself died three years later. 

He never learned that the land he had discovered was 
not India, but a new continent, destined to be greater than 
either Spain or the East he had so wished to reach. His 
descendants continued to hold the title of Admiral of 
the Indies and were given posts of honor and profit under 
the Spanish government. Today there is no name honored 
more in both Spain and America than that of the dis- 
coverer of the new world, Christopher Columbus. 



JOHN AND SEBASTIAN CABOT 

FATHER AND SON 

An Italian Boy. — John Cabot was born in Genoa, Italy, 
but when he was quite young he removed to Venice, a big 
and beautiful city on the Adriatic Sea. Ships were con- 
stantly sailing from this busy port and Cabot was much 
interested in watching the vessels come and go. He dreamed 
of lands that were far away, and made up his mind when he 
was old enough he would go on a voyage and visit these 
distant places. 

In England. — Before he became a sailor he left Italy and 
went to England, where he lived in the town of Bristol, 
which was on the sea-coast. His interest in ships and com- 
merce still continued, and in this way he was brought to 
the notice of the King of England. Cabot was anxious to 
cross the Atlantic Ocean and search for new lands. The 
king gave him papers with power to take possession of any 
lands which he might discover, so he fitted out a vessel and 
started on his voyage. 

A Voyage to America. — After a rough passage the ex- 
plorers reached the shores of North America north of 
Newfoundland, near the middle of the coast of Labrador. 
They found the land was fertile and the climate fine, and 
soon returned to England to make a report and arrange for 
a colony to settle the newly found possessions. King Ed- 

31 



32 HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 

ward was much pleased, and as a reward he gave John Cabot 
the title of Great Admiral. 

Shortly before this time Columbus had returned to Spain 
after having discovered the new world. News reached 
England of the wonderful riches to be found in the lands 
beyond the sea — gold, silver, precious gems, and spices. 

John Cabot is Lost at Sea. — The people were much 
excited over these reports. This made it easy for John 
Cabot, under the king's direction, to fit out an expedition 
of five vessels with full crews and plenty of provisions for 
the long voyage. 

Severe storms met them soon, and one of the ships put 
back and landed on the Irish coast. The crew returned to 
England and reported that the whole fleet had been de- 
stroyed by the storm. 

Whether or not this was true cannot be told, for noth- 
ing further was ever heard of John Cabot or his expedition. 

Sebastian a Map-maker. — His son, Sebastian, was born 
in Italy, but came with his father to England. 

He became famous for his skill in drawing maps, and 
because of this useful accomplishment he was employed to 
prepare plans for an English military expedition into France. 
He went with the army, prepared plans, made maps of the 
country, and remained with the soldiers while they were in 
southwestern France. The King of Spain wanted the use 
of his services, and persuaded him to leave the English 
Army and come into Spain. Here he was raised to high 
position in the navigation office and given the title of Pilot- 
major. 



JOHN AND SEBASTIAN CABOT 



33 



Sebastian, like his father, had a fondness for the sea, and 
desired to sail away to explore the far-off lands. 

It was thought there was much gold, silver, and precious 
stones, besides spices to be found in the distant countries, 




Sebastian Cabot, the "Map-maker." 

and the King of Spain desired to get a share of these treas- 
ures. 

He Sails for the King of Spain.— He fitted out a fleet of 
ships under the command of Sebastian Cabot, who guided 
the expedition safely across the Atlantic Ocean. They ex- 
plored the coast of North America from Labrador to Florida. 
Misled by the Indians, they entered the mouths of many 
rivers in search of treasure, but did not succeed in finding 



34 HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 

any. After spending three years seeking gold, without 
success, the expedition returned to Spain. 

Cabot was blamed for the failure to bring back the rich 
treasure that was expected. He was tried and found guilty, 
and would have been seriously punished but for the king, 
who pardoned him and restored him to the post of Pilot- 
major. 

Again in England. — After remaining some years in 
Spain he went back to England, where he held an important 
office with the title of Great Pilot. 

He planned and made ready several expeditions to the 
coast of America, but did not himself sail on the voyages. 

The Cabots, father and son, were simply adventurers in 
selfish search for treasure. They did not attempt to estab- 
lish colonies to settle and cultivate the lands they discovered. 

Their voyages and explorations added nothing to the 
development of the Western Hemisphere. 



PONCE DE LEON AND THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH 

In the days when America was first discovered men 
knew much less than is known today, and because they had 
less real knowledge they had more faith in signs and wonders 
and queer stories which they heard. They were particu- 
larly willing to believe almost anything that was told them 
about the new world which had been found to the west of 
the Atlantic Ocean. 

The Fountain of Youth. — One of these strange * tales 
which was repeated many times was the story of the miracu- 
lous fountain of youth. It was said that if an old man were 
to bathe in the waters of this stream he would become 
young again, nor would he ever after grow old. Men who 
would have laughed at this story back in their native land 
of Spain did not hesitate to believe the tale on the shores of 
the new world, of which they knew so little. 

Ponce de Leon. — Among these was a man who had 
sailed with Columbus on his second voyage and who had 
lived for some years on the island of Cuba. This man's 
name was Juan Ponce de Leon. He had heard the story 
from the Indians who told him that the fountain was to be 
found in a land to the north of Cuba, called "Bimini." 
Ponce de Leon became so interested in this wonderful foun- 
tain that he determined to spend the rest of his life in search- 
ing for it. 

35 



36 



HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 



The Search. — Accordingly, he set sail with a band of 
followers in the early spring of the year 1513. After some 
days' voyage they landed on a smooth beach beyond which 




Ponce de Leon bathing in the " Fountain of Youth." 



grew the thickest green foliage and the pleasantest flow- 
ers they had ever seen. They called this new land Florida, 
or the land of flowers. Whenever they came to a stream or 



PONCE DE LEON 37 

lake or even a puddle they bathed therein, hoping that they 
had found the famous fountain. 

The End of the Quest. — But the Indians were not 
friendly, and again and again attacked them, at last driving 
them back to their ships. In one of the attacks Ponce de 
Leon was wounded by an arrow. Although he returned to 
Cuba, this wound caused his death, and so ended his quest 
for the fountain of everlasting youth. 



/ 



HERNANDO DE SOTO AND THE SPANISH POS- 
SESSIONS IN AMERICA 

A Search for Gold. — After the Conquest of Mexico by 
the Spanish General Cortez and the Conquest of Peru by 
Pizarro, in which vast treasures of precious metal and gems 
were taken from the Aztecs, some of the Spanish soldiers 
were eager to make further explorations. 

King Charles of Spain believed that great wealth could 
be found in other countries to the northward. He was 
ready to assist any expedition in search of these riches on 
condition that a large share of the treasure that was dis- 
covered should be shipped to him for his own use. 

Such an expedition, consisting of about six hundred men, 
under the command of Hernando de Soto, sailed from 
Spain and reached the coast of Florida. Their idea was to 
leave the seashore and travel on foot through the great un- 
explored lands of the interior. 

Many adventures and many difficulties were met before 
they were able to present these large possessions to their 
sovereign, Charles V, King of Spain. 

A Hard Journey. — Leaving the Port of Baya Honda, 
where they had landed from their vessels, the Spaniards 
marched in a westerly direction and then northeast ; twenty- 
six horsemen and sixty foot soldiers remained at the port 
to defend their vessels and the fort which they had built 

38 



HERNANDO DE SOTO 



39 



until they should receive orders from their commander to 
join him. 

They continued to march across the swamps and rivers, 
and reached a village about which they had been told 
strange stories. Among others the inhabitants pretended 







De Soto preparing to attack an Indian village. 

that when they shouted aloud the birds flying in the air 
would fall dead to the ground. 

The Spanish soldiers, however, did not witness this 
wonderful sight, but rested here several days and then con- 
tinued their march. 

Coming to a large and rapid river they built boats and 
rafts of pine trees to cross over. 

Indian villages were passed in which the houses were 
built like caverns dug out of the earth. Others had huts 



40 HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 

above ground and covered with branches of palm trees 
and straw. There were many battles, which the Spanish 
always won. The Indians, fighting with bows and arrows, 
were no match for the soldiers, who fought with firearms. 

A Terrible Battle. — One of the most serious of these 
encounters was when the soldiers arrived at a village built 
on a plain and surrounded by strong walls. Some of the 
Indian chiefs met the Spanish and told them they could 
encamp on the plain, but De Soto preferred going with them 
into the town. 

They saw only three or four hundred Indians, who enter- 
tained them with dancing and feasting, but there were hid 
in the town five or six thousand men to surprise them. 

After the dancing was over the chief retired into one of 
his huts. De Soto requested him to come out, which he 
refused to do. A Spanish captain went in after him and 
found the hut filled with warriors armed with bows and 
arrows. 

He reported to De Soto what he had seen, and told him 
that he suspected they were going to commit some treach- 
ery. 

The Indians now began to shoot their arrows from the 
loopholes in their houses, while others discharged them from 
the outside. 

The Spaniards suffered severely and were compelled to 
leave the village. 

De Soto ordered sixty or eighty horsemen to arrange 
themselves into four platoons and attack the village in four 
different places. 



HERNANDO DE SOTO 



41 



They fought all day, and when night came only three 
Indians were alive, while the houses of the village were 
destroyed by fire. 

The Spanish lost twenty men killed and had two hun- 
dred and fifty wounded. 

The Death of De Soto. — Thus the wanderings of De 
Soto and his men continued for a period of four long and 




Burial of De Soto in the Mississippi River. 

weary years. Through swamps, across streams, in fights 
with Indians, and perils of all kinds till they reached the 
Mississippi River, but nowhere was found the gold for which 
these perils were endured. De Sotd and his company were 
the first white men to gaze upon this river called by the 
Indians the "Father of Waters," but the doughty leader, 



42 HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 

brave and cruel, was never to see his native land again. 
He died by the side of the mighty stream. The Indians 
had thought De Soto a god, and his followers feared for 
their own lives if the natives learned that he had died. 
Secretly, then, in the darkness of night, his body was buried 
in the waters of the great river. 

The journeys of these bold Spaniards covered most of 
the southern part of the United States, and included Florida, 
Georgia, Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, and 
Texas. 

It was a vast and valuable territory to come into pos- 
session of Spain. 



MAGELLAN AND THE FIRST VOYAGE AROUND 

THE WORLD 

A Portuguese. — Fernando de Magellanes, or Fernao de 
Magalhaes, which is the Portuguese way to spell his name, 
was born in Portugal, a little country to the west of Spain, 
which had also produced many fearless adventurers in the 
days of Columbus. You may remember that Columbus 
himself sought the aid of the King of Portugal, and that 
the Portuguese were the first sailors to round the Cape of 
Good Hope at the southern end of Africa. This country 
faces the stormy Atlantic and their men have always been 
brave sailors. 

In the Service of Spain. — Magellan belonged to a wealthy 
and noble family, and he had spent some time in the king's 
service in India, which at that time belonged largely to 
Portugal. However, he had a quarrel with his king, and 
giving up his native land, he offered his services to the 
King of Spain. 

A Voyage of Discovery. — He had heard from some sailors 
that a way by water lay to the south of America, and he 
determined to find this passage. After some difficulty the 
Spanish King gave him five ships, and he set sail twenty- 
seven years after Columbus began his first famous voyage. 
Magellan reached the shores of South America and then 
sailed south, until at last he saw the narrow strait that 
has since been named for him. 

43 



44 



HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 



Through the Straits of Magellan. — Although he had 
trouble persuading his crews, he boldly entered the strait, 
and a month later was in the calm waters of the Pacific 
Ocean. Indeed, it was Magellan who gave to that ocean its 
name, which means " peaceful." As a matter of fact, the 
storms of the Pacific Ocean are more severe than those of 
the Atlantic, but Magellan and his men were so impressed 




Magellan killed by natives in the Philippines. 



by its calm when they first saw this great ocean that they 
gave to it the name it bears today. 

Magellan is Killed. — Continuing boldly to the west, 
stopping at a number of islands on the way, they came 
finally to the Philippines, where Magellan made friends with 
the natives. To prove this friendship he promised to aid 
one of the native chiefs against his enemies on another 
island. In the battle which followed Magellan was killed 
and was thus prevented from completing the voyage. 



FERNANDO MAGELLAN 45 

The Voyage Completed. — One of his vessels did sail on, 
however, through the Indian Ocean, round the Cape of 
Good Hope, and up the west shore of Africa to the coast of 
Spain again. This ship had sailed steadily westward com- 
pletely round the world, proving that the earth was a round 
ball and that by keeping steadily going in one direction one 
could come again to the starting-point. No more did men 
fear they would fall off the edge, and it was now known surely 
that the new land discovered by Columbus was not India, 
but a new land indeed, of which no one had known before 
and where riches were to be far greater than the fabled 
wealth of Cathay. 



SIR FRANCIS DRAKE 

THE TERROR OF THE SPANISH MAIN 

A Sailor Boy. — Of all the bold, brave men of England in 
the days of Queen Elizabeth, there was none whose adven- 




The boy Francis Drake listening to tales of adventure. 

tures were so thrilling as those of Sir Francis Drake. Francis 
was born in the county of Devon on the shore of the English 

46 



FRANCIS DRAKE 



47 



Channel, and as a boy he learned to be a sailor. His life 
on shipboard and in the streets and wharfs of the channel 
ports taught him the tales of Spanish gold and strange lands 
across the sea which all were telling in those days. He 




Drake's first view of the Pacific Ocean. 

longed to take part in the wonderful adventures of these 
boastful men who drank their ale and sang their songs in the 
taverns by the salt sea. 



48 HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 

He Sails for the Spanish Main. — Now Spain was not 
friendly to England in those days, and Queen Elizabeth 
had no love for the dark, cold, and haughty Philip, King of 
Spain. She shed no tears and scolded very little, therefore, 
when Francis Drake, in command of a fleet of vessels, sailed 
across the Atlantic Ocean and fought with the Spanish ships 
in their own seas. He captured rich towns and ships laden 
with gold and silver, and he struck terror to the hearts of the 
Spaniards who thought themselves so safe in their new found 
land of America. 

The South Sea. — With some hardy companions he walked 
across the Isthmus of Panama and was the first Englishman 
to see the Pacific Ocean, or the South Sea, as it was then 
called, on whose broad waters he swore he would some day 
sail. 

A Famous Voyage. — Returning to England with his rich 
spoils he was the hero of the hour. The Queen smiled upon 
him and all the courtiers were his friends. He was not long 
content to stay in England, but fitted out another expedi- 
tion of five vessels to prey upon the riches of the Spanish 
Main. The Queen could not openly approve his plan, but 
secretly she aided him. He sailed to South America, and 
then southward to the Straits of Magellan, of which we 
have already learned. After battling with the storms of 
these narrow waters for sixteen days he entered the Pacific 
Ocean only to find that his own ship, "The Pelican," alone 
was left of all the fleet of five. But Drake was always at 
his best in the face of apparent misfortune. He sailed up 
the west coast of South America, attacking the undefended 



FRANCIS DRAKE 



49 



Spanish cities which he found there, and taking rich stores 
of gold for his queen, himself, and his followers. 

California for England. — At length he came to the coast 
of what we now call California. Entering a pleasant bay 
he and his men landed on the shore and were taken for gods 
by the native Indians, who insisted on placing a crown on 




Sir Francis Drake on the deck of the "Pelican." 

Drake's- head, and making him their king. This land he 
took in the name of Queen Elizabeth and called it New 
Albion, Albion being a name by which England is some- 
times known. 

Around the World. — As he had but one ship and few fol- 



50 



HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 



lowers, Drake decided not to return as he had come, where 
the Spaniards were surely awaiting him with their greatest 
war vessels, but to continue to sail westward. This he did, 
stopping at many islands on the way, and coming at last to 
the Indian Ocean and the shore of Africa. He sailed around 
the Cape of Good Hope and finally reached Plymouth, the 
English seaport town from which he had sailed nearly three 
years before. He had sailed completely around the world, 




Queen Elizabeth knighting Sir Francis Drake. 

as had Magellan's ships so many years before. Magellan 
had not lived to see the completion of his famous V03^age, 
while Drake reaped all the glory of his adventure. 

In High Favor. — Queen Elizabeth greeted him joyfully, 
and causing him to kneel before her, struck him lightly on 
the shoulder with her sword, saying, "Francis Drake, I dub 
thee Knight." 



FRANCIS DRAKE 51 

After that he was called Sir Francis Drake and was one 
of the greatest men in the kingdom. 

Spain and England. — It was not long before the Queen 
of England began to hear of the preparations which the King 
of Spain was making to send a great battle fleet to England 
and conquer that country. News came by way of the cap- 
tains of ships that the great fleet lay at anchor in the Span- 
ish harbor of Cadiz. 

Singeing the King's Beard. — Sir Francis Drake asked 
that he might go and attack this fleet. Without warning, in 
the midst of their preparations, Drake and his English ships 
sailed into the harbor and under the fire of the guns of the 
forts he and his men burned and sank most of the Spanish 
fleet, the great Armada that was to attack England. He 
called this singeing the beard of the King of Spain, and Queen 
Elizabeth again praised him for his skill and courage. 

The Armada. — But the next year another Spanish fleet 
came to attack England. There were over two hundred ves- 
sels in the fleet, great towering galleons armed with cannon 
and bearing thousands of soldiers to conquer the British Isles. 

Preparations were made in England to meet this attack. 
Lord Howard was put in command of the English Navy and 
Drake was made vice-admiral. While they were waiting 
for the Spanish ships to come the officers were playing a 
game of bowls to pass away the time. Suddenly the word 
came that the Spanish ships were in sight. Lord Howard 
wished to stop the play, but Drake insisted that they go on, 
saying, "There's plenty of time to win the game and thrash 
the Spaniards too." 



52 HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 

In the battle which followed the stormy seas combined 
with the skill of the English sailors to utterly defeat the 
Armada, and but few of the proud ships ever reached the 
coast of Spain again. Sir Francis was once more the hero 
of the hour. 

Drake's Death. — Seven years later Drake again sailed 
to America, where he was taken ill and died. He was a 
gallant gentleman and one of the most daring adventurers 
to be found in the pages of history. 



SIR WALTER RALEIGH 



A GALLANT GENTLEMAN 

Born in Devon on the Coast of England. — More than 
three hundred years ago when Elizabeth was queen of 
England there lived a boy named Walter Raleigh. He 
went to school like 
other boys. As his 
home was near the 
sea-coast he saw 
the ships going and 
coming and had 
many talks with 
the sailors. They 
told him about 
strange lands and 
people beyond the 
seas. Little Walter soon made up his mind that he would 
some day sail away and see these things for himself. 

Boys did not stay at school so long in those days as 
they do now, for there were not so many things to learn. 
So, at the age of seventeen, Walter had finished his educa- 
tion. He had studied hard and stood well in his class. 
This was of much use to him in later life when he became a 
knight and held a high place at the court of the queen; for 
Elizabeth liked to have able men about her. 

53 




The Boy Raleigh Learning Tales of the Sea (from the 
painting by Millais). 



54 



HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 



"h 



Takes Part in the French War. — Before Raleigh be- 
came a sailor he was a soldier and joined the army in 
France where there was a war. He tells a story of some 
of the enemy hiding in a cave, when his troops came and 

burned bundles of straw 
at the cave's mouth and 
smoked them out into the 
open. 

Captain of a Company 
in Ireland. — When the war 
in France was over, Raleigh 
went back to England. He 
was at once given command 
of one hundred men to help 
the army which was fight- 
ing in Ireland. This was 
a cruel war and many were 
killed but it gave Raleigh 
a chance to show how brave 
he was. One night he set 
out to capture the castle of 
Lord Roche. The castle 
was well fortified and Ra- 
leigh had but ninety men with him; still he put to flight the 
five hundred defenders. By a trick he got into the castle, 
seized Lord and Lady Roche while they were eating break- 
fast, and took them prisoners to Cork. Raleigh lost but 
one man of his company. 

Raleigh Meets the Queen. — One day Queen Elizabeth 




Sir Walter Raleigh and His Signature (from 
an old print). 



SIR WALTER RALEIGH 



55 



was walking on a path near the palace with a number of 
lords and ladies of the court. They came to a muddy 
place in the road. The Queen stopped. She did not want 
to soil her shoes with the soft mud. Walter Raleigh, who 
happened to be standing near, at once took off a fine red 
velvet cloak which he wore and spread it on the ground be- 
fore the queen's 

feet. Elizabeth /V!7\ 

smiled on him, ^^^Ks-S^F I" \U \ 

stepped on the 
cloak and passed 
safely over. 

A Favorite at 
the Court. — Af- 
ter that Raleigh 
was in high fa- 
vor at the court. 
In fact the queen 
grew so fond of 
the big, hand- 
some soldier 
that she wished 
him to be always near. She would not let him go again to 
Ireland to fight or go on voyages to America as he wanted 
to do. 

Raleigh Sends Vessels to America. — Although Raleigh 
was not allowed to sail yet he fitted out a fleet of seven 
vessels with a hundred men under Sir Richard Grenville. 
They settled on Roanoke Island on the coast of Virginia 




Raleigh Placing His Cloak Before QueenjElizabeth. 



56 



HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 



but they did not go about founding their colony in the right 
way. Instead of making friends with the Indians and buy- 
ing from them land to farm they spent their time hunting for 
gold and fighting with the natives. There were many Indians 

and very few of 
the settlers so that 
they had a hard 
time of it. They 
were only too glad 
when Sir Francis 
Drake came along 
the next year with 
his fleet of Eng- 
lish ships, to take 
them back to Eng- 
land. 

Raleigh would 
not give up the 
plan to form a 
colony and sent 
out another fleet 
with one hundred 
and fifty men and 




Sir Walter Raleigh Raising the Standard of Queen 
Elizabeth on the Coast of Virginia (from an old en- 
graving). 



women. But this fared worse than the other for they were 
all killed or captured by the Indians. 

The Spanish Armada. — At this time a great Spanish 
fleet called the " Armada" came from Spain to attack 
England. The Spaniards had more than one hundred 
vessels and several thousand men. They were met by 



SIR WALTER RALEIGH 



57 




Ships of the Spanish Armada (from old illustration). 



an English fleet under the command of Admiral Drake. 
The Spanish ships were badly beaten and only a few of them 
ever got safely back to 
Spain. For this vic- 
tory the English cap- 
tains were thanked 
by the queen, but es- 
pecially did she praise 
Sir Walter Raleigh 
who had been in 
charge of many of 
the preparations 
against the attack. 

Raleigh Loses the Favor of the Queen.— Although 
Queen Elizabeth was very fond of Sir Walter he had 

many enemies 
at Gourt who 
continually 
tried to injure 

^^^S ? ^S1 nim in tne 

eyes of the 
Queen. For 
Tower of London. a time they 

were success- 
ful and he was a prisoner in the Tower of London, a 
great fortress and prison in the center of the city. He 
was at length released but was not allowed to return to 
the court. 

Expedition to Guiana.— A few years after, Raleigh took 







58 



HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 



charge of a fleet of seven ships to go to South America in 
search of gold. They landed on the north coast near the 
island of Trinidad, and sailed up the rivers. They had 
many fights with the natives but did not find gold so they 
returned to England. Not long after this another fleet sailed 
under Raleigh for this same part of South America. This 
time they did better for they found gold and settled a col- 
ony named British Guiana. Raleigh did not stay with them 
but came back home. 

Battle of Cadiz. — A few years later a great fleet of battle- 
ships sailed for Spain. They fought the Spanish fleet and 
defeated it and then captured the city of Cadiz. This was 
a great victory and Raleigh had a large share in it. 

Raleigh is Beheaded. — But Raleigh had now lost his 
best friend. Queen Elizabeth was dead. Although she 
had at times punished him she had always defended him 

from his enemies. In her 
place was King James, a very 
different sort of person, who 
listened to those who made 
charges against Raleigh. Sir 
Walter was accused of treason 
and again made a prisoner in 
the Tower. He was released 
to make his second voyage to 
Raleigh in Prison. g outh America but on his re- 

turn was again arrested, tried for treason and convicted. 

During his long stay in prison Raleigh wrote, among 
some poems and essays, a history of the world, which is 




SIR WALTER RALEIGH 59 

among the most interesting of the many wonderful books of 
the sixteenth century. When the time came for him to die 
he showed himself the same gallant gentleman he had 
always been, ready to meet any adventure, however ter- 
rible, with the same gay, hopeful courage he had always 
displayed. Although his expeditions to America were all 
failures it has been said by a famous historian that "The 
United States owe their being to Sir Walter Raleigh." 



/ 




Queen Elizabeth. 



SAMUEL DE CHAMPLAIN 

A BRAVE ADVENTURER 

A French Lad. — Far, far away in France, the country 
of the French, and long, long ago in the sixteenth century 
a baby boy was born in the small seaport of Brouage. 
His name was Samuel de Champlain. His mother and 

father being gentle people, he was 
taught to read and write, to be 
courteous and kind and brave. 
His father was a captain in the 
royal navy and the boy Samuel 
soon learned the ways of ships. 

The Wars of Religion. — France 
in those days was a very sad coun- 
try. The people were continually 
at war with one another over their 
religion. Instead of the freedom 
of worship that we have in our 
country, each man insisted that 
everyone else should think just as he did. Some were 
Roman Catholics and were called Leaguers while others 
were Protestants and were called Huguenots. These two 
parties fought each other all over France until the poor 
country was wet with the blood of its people. The weak 
king was sometimes on one side and sometimes on the 

60 




f 7?~ 



SAMUEL DE CHAMPLAIN 



61 




Soldiers in France. 



other so that those who wished to serve the king had a 
hard time to know on which side to stand. 

Champlain Serves the King. — Although a Catholic, 
Champlain believed he should first serve his king and hard 
as it often was he was 
able to do so all his life. 
For a time he served in 
the royal navy with his 
father. Later he became 
a soldier and fought 
bravely in the wars which 
continued for many years. 
The king was killed and 
several other men claimed 
his throne. The one who 

had the best right to be king was Henry of Navarre, a brave 
nobleman who loved his country more than he did himself. 
His white plume and bright smile were enough to lead his 
ragged soldiers to one victory after another. Champlain 
followed him and fought for him until Henry was at last 
crowned king of France. For Champlain's brave services 
the king gave him a pension and a place at the court. 

An Expedition to Canada. — It was not long, however, 
before he tired of life at the court. He gladly accepted 
an invitation which was to determine the course of his 
life from then on. For many years French fishermen had 
been in the habit of visiting the waters around New- 
foundland and the mouth of the St. Lawrence river. No 
fishing grounds were as good as these and the long and 



62 



HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 



dangerous voyage across the Atlantic Ocean was more 
than repaid by the rich cargoes of fish with which they 
returned. A great nobleman of King Henry's court 
wished to establish near the St. Lawrence river a French 

colony which would convert 
the Indians to Christianity. 
He thought it would also be 
a profitable trading and fish- 
ing post. As a brave gentle- 
man and an experienced sailor 
Champlain was asked to be 
one of the leaders of the ex- 
pedition. From what we 
already know of this hardy 
adventurer we may be sure 
he was only too glad to go. 
He did not know, however, 
that the rest of his life would be spent in serving the inter- 
ests of this little colony. 

His Diary. — Champlain had one habit which was most 
fortunate for those who later wished to know about his 
life. He kept a diary or daily account of what he did. 
This, together with the drawings with which he illustrated 
it, is the most valuable record we have of his life and work. 
To be sure he did not draw well and these illustrations 
were so poor a child might have drawn them. At the 
same time they picture what he wished to show. His ac- 
count, though filled with strange stories that no one to-day 
believes, was believed at that time by intelligent men. 




Champlain on his ship the Saint Julian. 



SAMUEL DE CHAMPLAIN 



63 



When a boy he had studied map making. Besides writing 
and drawing the story of his adventures he also made maps 
and charts of the coasts he visited. These were so care- 
fully done that they represent the best jnaps of that day 
and are those from which later and more 
accurate ones are drawn. 

Champlain Explores the St. Lawrence 
River. — Other members of the company 
were soon busy establishing trading posts 
and exchanging blankets and trinkets with 
the Indians for valuable furs. Champlain, 
however, with several Indian guides began 
to explore the St. Lawrence river. He ad- 
vanced past the rock of Quebec and up the 
river to the hill which he called " Mount 
Royal." This is now the Canadian city of 
Montreal — the French form of the name. 
Beyond this point the party met the powerful tossing cur- 
rent of the Lachine Rapids. Although Champlain and his 

companions as 

" KT^-v/j we ^ as the In- 

MiiUfiiV i«.».i dians were all 



skillful canoe- 
ists, they had to 
give up the at- 
tempt to force a 
way against the 
swift stream. 
Returning to their companions at the mouth of the 




Canadian Fur 
Trader. 




Champlain Ascending the Rapids. 



04 



HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 



river Champlain next heard of a way by water to a groat 
sea. His hopeful fancy at once imagined that its farther 
shores might be those of Cathay, or India, that far-famed 
eastern land, a route to which all daring navigators sought. 
With Indians as guides he pushed his canoe for thirty or 
forty miles up the beautiful Saguenay river only to have to 
turn back at last without having found any sea. 




Champlain Talking with the Indian Chief. 

Meanwhile things were going badly in France. The 
nobleman who first established the colony had died. Cham- 
plain, fearing the little band of adventurers would lose the 
support of those at home, sailed back to France. He found 
some rich and influential men who promised to help and 
the next year he returned to Canada. 



SAMUEL DE CHAMPLAIN 65 

The Founding of Quebec. — Champlain explored the 
coast from Nova Scotia to Massachusetts. He took notes 
of all he saw and made maps of the coast line. He again sailed 
up the St. Lawrence to where the river narrows to less than 
a mile. On a great towering rock which was itself a natural 
fortress, he began the building of a fort and the establishment 
of a settlement which was to become the greatest city of New 
France. The Indians called the spot Quebec which meant 
in their language a narrow place or strait. This name it 
still bears as one of the chief cities of Canada after more 
than three hundred years of history. Few cities of the 
world have such a magnificent situation, its mighty rock 
standing like a giant sentinel guarding the stately river 
flowing at its base. Champlain chose the location wisely 
and although at times it seemed as though the colony 
would never prosper at last it grew to be a strong and 
sturdy town. 

An Indian Battle. — He was already on good terms with 
the Indians who lived around the St. Lawrence. Each 
year they believed and trusted 
in him more. Although other 
white men earned the hatred of 
the red men by the way they be- 
haved, the savages never ceased 
to regard Champlain as their 
friend. To the south of where 
these Indians lived in what is now the State of New York there 
dwelt the Iroquois, a bold brave nation of warriors whom all 
the other Indians greatly feared. Against these Iroquois 




66 HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 

the northern Indians were preparing an expedition in which 
Champlain had promised to aid them. Indeed they de- 
pended much upon his help for it was his armor and his 
gun which they hoped would win the battle for them. 
They set out up the St. Lawrence to where a river, the 
Richelieu, joins it from the south. Along this river they 
made their way with much difficulty until they finally came 
to the broad waters of a lake which has ever since borne 
the name of Champlain. Here they were met by a strong 
band of Iroquois. They disembarked from their canoes 
and each side prepared to fight upon the shore of the 
lake. The Iroquois were taller, stronger and much better 
armed than their enemies. There is not much doubt how 
the battle would have gone had it not been for Champlain 
and his two companions all of whom wore armor and 
carried guns. 

Champlain Defeats the Iroquois. — Champlain wore 
the doublet and long stockings worn by soldiers in those 
days. Over his doublet he buckled on a breast plate and 
back piece made of thin steel while his legs were protected 
by pieces of steel and his head by a plumed casque or helmet. 
Across his shoulder hung by a strap his bandoleer or am- 
munition belt. At his side was his sword and in his hand 
he carried his arquebus, a short gun with a big barrel from 
which several bullets could be fired at once. Just as the 
battle was about to begin and the Indians were yelling at 
the top of their lungs Champlain stepped into a place be- 
tween the shrieking savages. His appearance created a 
great deal of surprise among the Iroquois who had prob- 



SAMUEL DE CHAMPLAIN 



67 



ably never seen a white man before. Some of them dis- 
charged their arrows at him and he in turn aimed his arque- 
bus and fired. Two of their chiefs were killed and a third 
wounded. Champlain's companions then fired from where 
they were standing at one side. This was too much for 
even the brave Iroquois. They took .one look at their 
fallen comrades and then turned and ran. The battle had 
been won for the Algonquins, as most of Champlain's 




Champlain Fighting the Indiana. 

Indians were called. This was the first time that white 
men had taken sides with one Indian tribe against another 
and it was to have a far reaching effect. In all the success 
which the French were to have in their relations with the 
Indians the Iroquois were always their bitter enemies, and 
in later years this fact did much to lose the continent of 
North America for France and win it for the English. 



68 HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 

The Colony Meets Hardship and Discouragement. — 
Every year Champlain now had to spend at least a part 
of the time at Paris looking after the affairs of his colony. 
It grew very slowly and there was much quarrelling. As 
the winters are very severe in Canada, the colonists had 
neither proper houses, nor enough fire-wood, nor the right 
kind of food, nor warm enough clothing. There was a 
great deal of suffering and each year many died before the 
warm weather came again. They depended almost entirely 
upon supplies sent from France and when these failed to 
come they had a miserable time of it. One wonders some- 
times why they preferred to face the cold, the hunger and 
the danger of this savage land than to return to France, a 
country of smiles and sunshine. This question is answered 
when we remember that the colonists were of two kinds, 
traders whose business was to buy furs of the Indians, 
and missionaries who were ready to endure any hard- 
ships to convert the Indians to Christianity. Champlain 
alone belonged to neither of these groups. He made it his 
life work from a sense of duty to the colony for which he was 
so largely responsible. 

The Father of New France. — Samuel de Champlain 
continued to govern the colony until Christmas day in the 
year 1635, when he died, twenty-seven years after he had 
founded Quebec. He was one of the world's great men, 
courageous and unselfish. He freely gave himself to those 
who needed his protection. He was at once brave and 
bold, patient and gentle, and he has richly earned his title 
of "The Father of New France." 



HENRY HUDSON 



THE LOST EXPLORER 

A Young Sailor. — About the time that Sir Walter Raleigh 
was put in prison by King James, another man was making 
voyages that were to win him fame. This man's name was 
Henry Hudson and he too was 
an Englishman. When a little 
boy he heard many tales of the 
sea and of strange adventures 
in foreign lands. His grand- 
father was a merchant of Lon- 
don who bought and sold the 
goods which came in ships from 
far away. His father and uncles 
were either merchants too, or 
captains of vessels, so that Henry 
early learned to love the sea. 

He had no fear of its dangers. As a young man he made 
many voyages and became skillful in navigation, which is 
the science of sailing ships. 

A Voyage to the Far North. — Such a reputation did 
Henry gain that a company of English merchants who 
traded with Russia chose him to make a voyage to the 
northeast around the top of Europe. They hoped he 
might find in that direction a way to the Pacific Ocean and 

69 




Henry Hudson. 



70 



HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 



the wonderful Spice Islands of the East, which everyone 
was so anxious to reach. Two voyages he made in this 
direction, sailing nearer the North Pole than any man had 
ever been before. If your teacher will point out on the map 
a place far north of Europe called Nova Zembla, you will 
see how far Hudson went. If you will remember that the 
farther north one goes the colder it gets you will know how 
cold it must have been for him and his men as they fought 
their way through the ice of the Arctic Ocean. At last 
they could go no farther and had to turn back. They feared 
that they might be caught in those frozen waters and be 

unable ever to 
|iyU__ ^m return. 

The Frozen 
Seas Once 
More. — Later 
on Hudson was 
employed by the 
Dutch East In- 
dia Company, a 
company of mer- 
chants of the 
country of Hol- 
land. He was to 
again seek a pas- 
sage across the north of Europe through the same frozen 
seas in which he had before sailed. In two small ships, 
the "Good Hope" and the "Half Moon," he set sail and 
again reached the land called Nova Zembla. Once more 




Hudson Receiving His Commission from the 
Dutch East India Company. 



HENRY HUDSON 71 

the ice stopped the progress of the vessels and Hudson 
was forced to give up the attempt. Should they sail 
back to Holland and say they had failed? The sailors 
said "What else can we do?" but Hudson determined to 
try another way. 

Captain Smiths Suggestion. — When last in England he 
had received letters from Captain John Smith about whom 
you will soon learn. In these letters Captain Smith told 
of voyages that he had taken and said that he believed 
there was a way by water through North America to the 
rich lands of the East. It had always seemed to the early 
explorers that there must be some such way and Hudson 
now determined to find it if he could. He sent the "Good 
Hope" back to Holland with such of the sailors as wished 
to return. Then he and the rest of his men set sail in the 
"Half Moon" to cross the Atlantic and find a northwest 
passage to India. The ship was even smaller than those 
which went with Columbus on his first voyage and only 
eighteen men were necessary to sail the little vessel. What 
reckless courage those men must have had to brave the 
ocean storms in such a craft! 

Exploring the North Atlantic Coast. — After a voyage 
filled with danger in which they lost a mast and had their 
sails badly torn, they reached the rocky coast of Maine and 
found shelter in Penobscot Bay. There they made a new 
mast from a pine tree and spent a week in mending their 
sails and putting the little ship in order. They had no 
lack of food as fish were plentiful and they were even able 
to trade with the Indians, exchanging red cloth for game and 



72 



HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 



beaver skins. When the ship was again in condition to sail, 
Hudson began to explore the coast. He sailed as far south 
as Virginia, but was afraid to land there. He was now 
sailing under the Dutch flag and was not sure he would be 
received as a friend. Turning north, he entered Delaware 
Bay and sailed some distance up the river on which Phila- 
delphia now stands, long before there were any settlements 
of white men on its banks. But the river seemed too shal- 
low even for the little "Half Moon" and Hudson, fearing 
the sand-bars, again put out to sea. 

Hudson Discovers the Great 
River that Bears His Name. — He 
next came to New York Bay and 
from there entered the great river 




The Half Moon on the Hudson. 

which has been named after him, the Hudson River. This 
river was so broad and deep and extended so far northward 
that he at first thought it might be the way to India he 
wished to find. He sailed on and on far up the river. Sev- 



HENRY HUDSON 



73 



eral times he was attacked by Indians who came out from 
the shore in their canoes and shot arrows at the ship. One 
hundred and fifty miles they sailed, beyond the site of the 
present city of Albany. At last the water became too shal- 
low and they had to turn back. They had learned much 
although they had not found a way to the East. Hudson 




stegtMx.^^ ~ 



Hudson Trading with Friendly Indians. (Sketch from the Ferris Painting.) 

then decided, as winter was coming on and their provisions 
were running low, they had best return. 

The Return to England. — When they reached England, 
Hudson sent an account of his voyage to the merchants of 
Holland telling them of his discoveries and asking for money 
and men to make a second voyage. King James of England 
had also heard of the bold sailor Henry Hudson. As he 



74 



HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 



was an Englishman, King James now forbade Hudson to sail 
for Holland but gave him instead an English ship. He was 
ordered to make further discoveries in the name of England. 
A Second Voyage. — Henry was only too glad to do this 
and in 1610 he again set sail for the new world. This time 
he kept farther to the north. Above and to the west of 
Labrador, he came upon a body of water so vast in extent 
he felt sure its distant shore would prove to be the coast of 
Asia. While he found this was not the fact, the great body 
of water upon which they were sailing has since been called 
"Hudson Bay" in honor of the man who first discovered it. 
Hudson is Deserted by His Faithless Crew. — Weary 
of the voyage and disappointed at not finding the riches of 

the East, a mutiny 
arose among the 
crew. Hudson, 
with two others, 
were set adrift in 
an open boat while 
the vessel, in charge 
of Henry Green, re- 
turned to England. 
On arriving the 
men of this faith- 
less crew were tried 
and put in prison 
and an expedition was immediately fitted out to relieve 
Hudson and his companions. 

The Rescue Comes Too Late. — They reached Hudson 




Hudson Cast Adrift on the Sea. 



HENRY HUDSON 75 

Bay, but months had passed since those poor men had been 
left to perish on that cold and stormy sea. Although 
they searched far and wide no more was ever seen or heard 
of the great explorer. No stone marks his grave, but of all 
the men who searched for new lands and new ways across 
the sea, he alone has given his name to three great bodies of 
water, Hudson Strait, Hudson Bay and the beautiful 
Hudson River. 




A Ship of Hudson's Time. 



JOHN SMITH 



FOUNDER OF VIRGINIA 

In the Days of Queen Elizabeth. — In the reign of good 
Queen Bess, England was a peaceful and happy land. 
Merchants were rich because their ships sailed to all parts 

of the world and brought 
back from distant lands 
fine cargoes. These they 
sold at good prices. Far- 
mers were busy growing 
fruits and grain and there 
was plenty to eat for 
everybody, except the 
lazy folks who would 
not work. 

Then there were 
sports to enjoy in the long summer days. Cricket, bowling 
on the green grass, archery, which is shooting at a target 
with bow and arrow, and other games made the people happy 
and gave to the country the name of "Merrie England." 
Things were different in other parts of Europe. There 
the people were busy fighting each other and had no time 
for sports or useful work. In France, Spain and Holland 
there were religious wars. Farther away in Austria, Italy 
and Greece, the Turks were fighting against the Christians. 

76 




Bowling on the Green in the Days of "Good 
Queen Bess." 



JOHN SMITH 



77 



They had a strange way of telling the news in those 
days. There were no newspapers for the people to read. 
Stories of the wars and other events were printed in the 
form of ballads or songs. These were carried about the 
country and sung by pedlers to any tune they could re- 
member or invent. 

This pleased the simple country folks, especially the 
boys like little John Smith or "Jack," as he was called, of 
whom we shall have many stirring things to tell. 

Jack Reads Ballads of Adventure. — Jack used to buy 
these ballads from the pedlers and would read them on his 
way to and from school. He 
thus came to know about the 
heroes of battles on land and 
on sea. This filled his mind 
with the idea of being a soldier 
or sailor when he grew up. 

When Jack was about eight 
years old the great Spanish 
fleet called the Armada came 
up the coast to attack Eng- 
land. It was badly defeated 
by the English navy under 
Admiral Drake and most of 
the Spanish vessels were sunk. 
Beacon fires flared the news of 
the great victory all over the land. Of course ballads were 
printed and sold praising the skill and bravery of Sir Francis 
Drake, Sir Walter Raleigh and other heroes of the naval battle. 




?--^<2x 



John and the Peddler. 




John Runs Away. 



78 HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 

Jack Runs Away to Sea. — Jack grew to be a fine, sturdy, 
intelligent fellow. His chief longing was to go to sea and 
be a cabin boy on one of the big ships. When he was fif- 
teen years old his father died. His mother also died shortly 
after, and the children were left in the care of a guardian who 
was not very kind to them. 

John was not happy and early one morning he packed 

his clothes into a bundle, 
put what little money he 
owned into his pocket, 
and tramped to a sea- 
port on the English 
Channel. From there he 
sailed to France. 
Adventures in France. — He finally reached the town of 
Orleans where he met two friends. They were sons of 
Lord Willoughby, whose acquaintance he had made at 
his home where they had all attended the same school. 
They received John kindly and gave him some money. 
He did not care to remain long with them and in about a 
month he bade them goodby and started off. He soon fell 
in with soldiers and attached himself to a company 
of horsemen under command of Captain Duxbury. For 
more than two years he saw a great deal of fighting in 
the "Low Countries," as Holland and Belgium were then 
called. 

John had by this time become a fine soldier. Tall, straight 
and handsome, dressed in the splendid clothes he loved to 
wear, he made a noble appearance. He had learned the use 



JOHN SMITH 



79 




of sword and pistol, and few could wield a battle axe 
with more skill than he. 

But these were religious wars. John was a good Chris- 
tian and he did not understand why there need be fighting 
for such a cause. So he got his discharge 
from the Dutch army and journeyed back 
to Willoughby, his home town in England. 

Back Again in England. — He was now in 
his twentieth year and rich enough to live 
like a gentleman. When dressed in a new, 
suit with cloak and sword and a ruff around 
his neck, he looked very gallant indeed. 
His friends were very proud of him and his 
great record as a hero. All kinds of parties 
and sports were arranged for him but after As a Soldier of the 
the first joy had worn off he found he did not l en ury ' 
care for life of this sort either. He wanted to study and 
improve his mind, to fit himself to become a better 
soldier and leader of men. So he built a little cabin 
in the woods and took his books, his gun, a good 
horse, and his lance. Here he spent his time in study and 
exercise. 

Off to Fight the Turks. — Hearing that the Emperor of 
Hungary was raising an army to fight the Turks, John deter- 
mined to help. He returned to his old friends in Holland. 

One winter's evening a group of men, most of them 
French and English soldiers, were gathered around the 
blazing fire of a Dutch tavern talking over their plans. 
John Smith was among their number. 



80 



HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 



"I wish," said he, "I could hear of some troop of horse 
going into Hungary." 

"Why not apply to the Duke Mercoeur," said one of 
the party, "he is forming an army to help the Emperor 
fight the Turks." 

"I want to command a company," replied Smith, "but 

the Duke doesn't know any- 



^ 



thing about me." 

The Frenchman assured him 
that he and his three friends 
were acquainted with the 
nobleman, as their estates in 
Picardy were near together. 
They said they would be glad 
to make Smith known to the 
Duke— "Duke Mercury" as 
John afterward spelled it. 

"All right, I will go with 
you," said John, and they set 
to work packing their bag- 
gage. John had many things 
with him as he was to be away a long time. His trunks 
were strong iron bound chests in which were books, weap- 
ons and a supply of money. There were also several rich 
suits of clothes, fine linen and lace ruffs for John always 
liked to be ready for either court or camp. 

A Misadventure. — It was stormy winter weather when 
they set sail from Holland to France and late one night they 
reached a port in Picardy. It was pitch dark and the sea 




Captain John Smith. 



JOHN SMITH 



81 



very rough but they persuaded the Captain to row them 
ashore. So all their trunks were lowered into a little boat 
and the Frenchmen took their places, but when John was 
about to descend the ladder the master called up to him, 

"I fear there is not room for you, sir. I will first take 
this boat to land and will then come back and fetch you." 

So John was obliged to step back on deck. When the 
Captain returned with the boat, many hours later, he 
told John his friends had taken the trunks and gone to 
Amiens to wait for him there. John felt sure he had 
been robbed of his goods and money as indeed he had, for 
he never saw them again. One of the passengers on the 
boat felt sorry for him and offered him some cash but John 
was proud and insisted on selling his cloak and thus ob- 
tained some pocket money. 

A Friend in Need. — John spent some weeks going from 
port to port in Brittany in the 
hope of finding a ship sailing 
for Hungary, but in vain. 
He had very little money and 
suffered in the cold weather 
for want of food and clothing. 

He then remembered a 
young French nobleman who 
lived in this part of France 
and whom he had met in 
England. His name was 
Count Ployer and he received Smith with a kindness which 
John never forgot. Many years after when exploring the 




A Pirate of Smith's Time. 



82 HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 

Chesapeake Bay in an open boat he named one of its 
headlands Point Ployer in honor of his noble friend. 

John enjoyed his short visit at the castle but soon was 
anxious to continue his journey in search of a ship. The 
Count advised him to go to Marseilles, a port on the south 
coast of France, and provided him with a good horse and 
money. John thanked him, bade him farewell and took 
his journey southward to Marseilles. 

A Castaway. — Here he found a ship ready to carry pil- 
grims to Rome, so he took passage and went on board. He 
was not much pleased with the looks of his fellow passengers 
and they were no better than they looked. 

The weather was rough and when the vessel was near 
the island of St. Mary a great storm arose. John was 
standing on deck watching the sailors when a number of 
the dirty shabby pilgrims came up to him cursing and 
blaming him for the stormy weather. These men called 
him vile names and in their anger cried, "Throw him over 
board!" "Throw him overboard!" John drew his sword 
to defend himself but he was overpowered, dragged to the 
side of the ship, and flung into the sea. Being a strong 
swimmer he struck out boldly and in spite of the high seas £ 
and his heavy cloak, he soon reached the little island. 
Without shelter, cold and wet, he walked up and down the 
shore through the long dreary night trying to keep warm. 

Smith Finds Friends Again. — When morning came bright 
and clear, John was glad to see two ships at anchor near by. 
By waving his cloak and shouting, he was able to attract 
the attention of the sailors. They soon lowered a boat, 



! 



JOHN SMITH 



83 



came to the island and took the cold, weak man to their 
ship. The Captain, whose name was La Roche, soon made 
him comfortable with food 
and dry clothing. 

A Fight with a Venetian 
Galley. — In those days there 
were many pirates on the sea 
and all vessels were armed 
with cannon for the safety 



of passengers 
Captain La 
which was 
Breton" was 




and cargo, so 
Roche's ship 
named "The 

Well prepared Smith Attracts the Attention of the 

to take care of herself. Sailors. 

When "The Breton" came to the entrance of the Adri- 
atic Sea, they saw coming from Venice, a stately ship, with 
all sails set to the breeze. La Roche wished to speak with 
her and gave a polite signal but the Venetian captain feared 
"The Breton" was some pirate ship lying in wait. Instead 
of answering politely he fired a cannon shot which killed 
one of La Roche's sailors. This was too much for the 
Captain; he ordered all hands to the guns and poured into 
the Venetian one broadside after another. The big ship 
tried to escape but "The Breton" flew after her, sending 
cannon-balls into her sails and rigging till they were all torn 
and broken. She could sail no longer and had to stand and 
fight. For two hours they sent shot into each other. They 
boarded each other's vessels but were each driven back. 
The Venetian captain managed to set fire to the mainsail 



84 



HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 




The Fight With The Venetian Galley. 



of "The Breton." The vessel might have been destroyed, 
but, quick as thought, Smith, who had been working one 

of the guns, 
climbed up the 
rigging. 

"Cut anything 
to clear her," he 
cried, and in a 
few minutes 
they had torn 
down the burn- 
ing canvas and 
flung it into 
the sea. 

La Roche was angry at the damage to his sails and or- 
dered a fresh attack. John and the other gunners poured 
volley after volley of shot into the big ship until she was 
riddled and nearly sinking. The Venetian captain, finding 
that he had lost twenty of his crew, surrendered. 

They Win a Rich Prize. — The Bretons came on board to 
unload the cargo which proved to be a rich prize. There were 
silks, velvets and cloth-of-gold besides many boxes of gold and 
silver. They carried off as much as their little vessel would ! 
hold, and then set the Venetian captain and his ship free. 
The Breton was also damaged and had lost fifteen men. 
So La Roche drifted with the wind to the island of Malta 
and put in for repairs. When the little vessel was fit 
again, he sailed northward to Genoa and at that port Smith 
was put ashore. 



JOHN SMITH 



85 



"Farewell, Master Smith," La Roche said, "since you 
must needs fight the Turk, God prosper you." 

"Farewell, noble friend," said Smith, as he wrung the 
good captain's hand. 

"Here is your share of the prize," said La Roche, placing 
in his hand a bag of money which John took gladly. 

Captain Smith Raises the Siege of a City. — He was now 
in Italy, the land of which he had heard and read so much. 
He had plenty of money and enjoyed seeing the cities and 
works of art. He did not wish, however, to delay the more 
serious work before him. 

At the town of Gratz he met 
Baron Ebersbacht, a general in the 
Hungarian army. Smith taught him 
the use of torches as signals of which 
he had read in an old book. By 
means of flashes to the right or left, 
up or down, they could form words 
and thus send messages to each other. 

Smith then joined the artillery 
under Baron Kissell, and the army 
marched against the Turks in 
Hungary. 

At one time during the war Baron 
Ebersbacht with his soldiers, were 
inside the walls of a city which the 
Turks were trying to capture. Baron 
Kissell's army came up at this time. Not having enough 
soldiers to attack the large Turkish army the general did 




Smith Signals to his Friends 
in the Besieged City. 



86 HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 

not know how to get a message to the Christians inside the 
city. John Smith knew what to do and climbing a high hill 
after dark he flashed a message with torches. Baron 
Ebersbacht saw the signal and read the words. At a fixed 
time he came out of the city gate, joined with the Christian 
army outside, and routed the Turks. The generals were 
much pleased with the result of Smith's signals and made 
him a captain. 

Smith Becomes the Christians' Champion. — One day 
the Turks sent word that one of their knights would meet 
a Christian officer in single combat. Captain Smith was 
chosen. Mounted on fine horses and armed with lance and 
shield the two met. After a short fight Smith killed the 
Turk and cut off his head. Two more of these combats 
were held, and each time Captain Smith defeated his 
opponent. As their last champion died the Turkish army 
fled in fear. 

As a reward for his brave deeds the Prince of Hungary 
gave Smith the right to wear upon his shield the picture of 
three Turks' heads. This was hereafter his coat of arms, 
which he always wore with great pride. 

He is Taken Prisoner by the Turks. — For many months 
the wars kept on. Once a large number of Turks attacked 
a small force of Christians. Captain Smith was badly 
wounded and left on the battlefield for dead. When the 
Turks saw his rich velvet dress and polished armor they 
thought he must be a great nobleman. Finding he was 
still alive, they took him prisoner to Turkey. He was sold 
to a brutal master who treated him like a common slave. 



JOHN SMITH 87 

He was so cruel that Smith made up his mind he would 
not stand it any longer. One day when his master started 
to beat him with a whip, Smith sprang on him, threw 
him on the ground and killed him with a club. He then 
jumped on the Turk's horse and fled like the wind. After 
a long journey and many narrow escapes he reached Russia. 
He at last made his way back to Hungary where he was 
gladly received by his friends, who had given him up for 
dead. The Prince presented him with a large sum of 
money and thanked him for his help in battle. 

Once More in England. — Captain Smith then started 
for England. On his way he visited many countries and 
had more exciting adventures. In a sea fight with the 
Spanish he again showed his skill as a gunner. He finally 
reached his native land after an absence of nearly five 
years. He was well trained for the great work which was 
to follow in his later life. 

The London-Virginia Company Formed. — Plans had 
been made by merchants for trading with Russia and the 
East Indies but Captain Smith felt there was a better 
chance for fortune in lands across the Atlantic. He had 
many talks with Henry Hudson who had been to America 
and who was now in England. He also talked with others 
about the new land and finally exclaimed, "A goodly land 
and it must be saved for the Christians." Our hero was 
now about twenty-six years of age, healthy, strong and wise; 
just the right man to lead a colony. So he and his friends 
set to work to carry out their plan. It would take a great 
deal of money for food, and wages for the men who would be 



88 



HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 



willing to go. They finally got the promise of enough men 
and money and secured from King James a charter to form 

the London -Virginia 
Company. 

It took nearly a year 
to get the ships and fit 
them out with the 
needed supplies. A 
man by the name of 
Newport was given 
the chief command 
and was called 
Admiral. Under him 
were about a hundred 
men. No women went 
on this voyage as it 
was thought best that 
the men go first to 
prepare the land and 
make things more 
comfortable for the women who were to come the next year. 
A sealed box was handed to Admiral Newport with orders 
that it should not be opened until they arrived at Virginia. 
So in December, 1606, the little fleet set sail from Eng- 
land to found in the new world the first real English colony, 
from which has grown the strongest and best nation on earth. 
The Settlement of Jamestown. — Because of bad weather 
and trouble among the men, they had a weary voyage of 
three months. Many were sick and most of them sorry 




Opening the Sealed Box in the Cabin of the 
" Susan Constant." 



JOHN SMITH 89 

they came, laying the blame on John Smith for leading 
them away from home. As he was used to leading men, he 
had ordered them about a good deal on the ship. Some 
of the men thought he might want to be king when they 
landed, so they put his legs in irons and decided they would 
hang him when they reached the shore. 

But Smith had been in too many tight places in his life 
to be worried about this. He knew nothing could be 
proved against him and he also knew they would be glad of 
his help when trouble came. 

On April 20th, 1607, they entered Chesapeake Bay and 
came to a point of land which they named Cape Henry in 
honor of their young Prince, son of King James. In the 
cabin of the "Susan Constant," Admiral Newport's ship, 
just before they landed, they opened the sealed box and 
read the papers that had been placed in it. 

By the orders a council of seven was formed, John Smith 
being one of the number named in the charter; but he was 
still held as a prisoner and his advice was not asked at first, 
although later they were glad to have it. 

They at once set about finding the best place to land. 
They entered a broad stream known by the Indians as the 
Powhatan, but named by the Englishmen, the James River 
in honor of their king. Sailing up the stream for thirty 
miles they found a place which pleased them and which they 
were able to buy from the Indians for one hatchet. 

Here the colony in America was settled and they named 
it Jamestown. Edward Wingfield was chosen president 
and all hands fell to work, putting up tents, cutting down 



90 HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 

trees and getting the ground ready to plant corn. They 
also built a rude fort of logs and branches of trees on which 
they mounted four or five cannon. 

John Smith Made President. — About twenty of the party 
started to explore the river and sailed for six days. They 
came to high rocks and waterfalls at about the site of the 
present city of Richmond. They could sail no further 
so they turned back. When they reached Jamestown they 
found that the Indians had surprised and attacked the colony, 
killing one boy and wounding seventeen men. The whole 
party might have been wiped out had not some sailors on 
the boat seen the fight and fired a cannon which caused the 
Indians to run away in fright. The fort was now made 
stronger and other buildings were put up including a church 
where good Mr. Hunt, the minister, preached every Sunday. 

In all this work John Smith was so useful that he was no 
longer held as a prisoner for they needed all the hands to 
help. The men of the colony had come to Virginia with the 
idea that they would be able to pick gold from the gound and 
that they would all become rich without any hard work to 
do. They soon found that this was not the case. Hot 
summer days came on. The supply of food ran low and 
severe sickness followed. In six weeks about fifty men died. 

Admiral Newport's ships had sailed home and in their 
discouragement every one turned to John Smith. They 
were glad to elect him president of the colony. He set the 
well ones to work and made them stop grumbling. As 
winter came on, many ducks and geese appeared, so they 
had plenty of good food to eat. 



JOHN SMITH 



91 



Captain Smith Taken Captive by the Indians. — Smith 
wanted to see some of the country so, choosing eight men 
to go with him, they fitted out a barge with food and took 
beads and hatchets for trading. They sailed up one of the 
streams until the water became too shallow when Smith 
hired an Indian guide with a canoe in which he took two of 
his men. The others he left with the barge with orders 
that they must not leave the boat or go ashore. After a 
short time he landed with the guide leaving the two men to 
stay with the canoe and fire a gun if there were any trouble. 
He had gone but a short distance when Indian war-whoops 
warned him that his men were in danger. Binding his guide's 
arm to his own, he hastened back only to find that his two 
followers were dead and that the men with the barge had 
also been killed by the Indians who were yelling and 
dancing on the bank of 
the stream. As soon as 
Smith appeared he was 
attacked and, in trying to 
defend himself he stepped 
into a marshy place where 
he was captured by the 
Indian chief. 

The chief intended to 
kill him but Smith showed him his pocket compass and told 
him of the many countries and strange people he had seen. 
This so interested the Indian that he spared his life saying 
that he would take him to the greatest chief of all, the 
mighty Powhatan. 




Smith Shows His Compass to the Indiana. 



92 



HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 



The Indian Emperor Powhatan. — After tramping through 
the woods and following the rivers for a number of days, they 
came to the place where the great over-king Powhatan 
lived with his tribe. The warriors were dressed in their best 
suits of red paint with new white feathers in their heads. 
Powhatan was a big man with gray hair and was about sixty 
years of age. He wore a long robe of skins and a string of 
pearls around his neck. Smith had seen many kings and 
princes but he felt this Indian warrior was the equal of any. 
Princess Pocahontas. — Standing near her father was a 
young girl about thirteen years old, graceful and pretty, 
with bright flashing eyes. This was the Indian emperor's 
dearest child, Pocahontas, who later proved to be a true 

friend to Captain Smith 
and the little band of 
settlers in Virginia. She 
gazed at Smith with 
looks of wonder and 
pity while the Indians 
talked together as to 
what to do with him. 
They decided that he 
must die and the story 
goes that when they 
threw him down intending to dash out his brains with clubs, 
Pocahontas put her arms around his head and cried out 
"He shall not die. Stay!" 

Powhatan to please his daughter spared Smith's life 
but made him promise to give the Indians two of the big 




L MiL 

Pocahontas Saves Smith's Life. 



JOHN SMITH 



93 



cannons at the fort. Smith knew the cannons were too 
heavy for the red men to carry away and they found it so 
when they came to get them. 

Pocahontas Gives Aid to the Colony. — When Smith 
reached Jamestown after being away for nearly five weeks 
he found the colony in a bad way. Hunger and cold had 
left but thirty-eight alive and these were very quarrelsome. 
The Captain soon restored order and promised to get food 
from the Indians. This he was able to do with the help 
of the kind princess Pocahontas, who would appear every 
few days bringing baskets of good things to eat. 

Shortly afterwards Admiral Newport arrived from Eng- 
land with the ship Phcenix loaded with stores and arms 
and bringing one hun- 
dred more men. Affairs W r -/^\ 
seemed more hopeful al- 
though there was still 
trouble with the Indians 
who did not want to 
be friendly. They 
would have done more 
damage but for the 
kindness of Pocahontas 
who gave warning 
and many times saved the lives of the white men. 

How Pocahontas Becomes an English Woman. — John 
Rolfe, one of the colonists, fell in love with this beautiful 
and lovely girl and wanted to marry her if she would leave 
the Indians and join the white people. This she was willing 




Pocahontas and Rolfe. 



94 



HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 



to do as she loved him and wanted to stay with his friends. 
She was baptized in the little church at Jamestown and her 
name was changed to Rebecca. They were afterwards 
married in the church which was beautifully decorated with 
flowers. 

Rolfe was a good man and had a fine farm, so with his 
sweet wife and a little son, Thomas, who had come to them 
in the meantime, they lived a happy life. He often spoke 
of his old home in England and she wanted to see it. So 
as soon as he could spare the time he 
took his wife and child on a visit to the 
old country. Rebecca was well received 
by everyone, even by the king and 
queen when they learned she was the 
daughter of an emperor. Her beauty 
and gracious manners won the love of 
all, but the climate of England did not 
agree with her and she became very ill. 
To save her life her husband hurried her 
aboard a ship sailing to Virginia, but 
before the vessel had left the shores of England, the loving, 
great hearted Pocahontas died. Her body was buried in the 
churchyard at Gravesend where her grave may still be seen. 
Captain Smith Badly Hurt. — The colony in Virginia con- 
tinued to grow and prosper under the leadership of Captain 
Smith. They built houses, farmed the land and explored 
the rivers. One day Smith and his men were returning 
down the river to Jamestown. The Captain was asleep in 
the boat lying against a bag of gunpowder and one of the 




Pocahontas from an Old 
Print. 



JOHN SMITH 95 

men in lighting his pipe accidentally set it afire. The powder 
exploded and Smith was in flames. He jumped into the water. 
Although he was saved from drowning, he was terribly burned 
and fainted from the pain. He continued to be so weak and 
ill that he decided to return to England and have his wounds 
properly attended to. So he set sail in October, 1609, bidding 
good bye to his beloved Virginia. He w as never to see it again. 
The Indians Become Unfriendly. — The white men con- 
tinued to be at peace with the Indians as long as the great 
chief Powhatan lived. But after some years he died leav- 
ing his brother Opekankane to lead the tribe. This chief 
was not friendly to the English settlers although they re- 
fused to believe that the Indians would not always be their 
friends. The Indians were allowed to come freely into the 
settlement and were given fire-arms with which to hunt 
game. Suddenly, without warning, and at many different 
points, the savages attacked the unsuspecting whites, killing 
women and children as well as men, destroying the cattle 
and the crops and driving the poor people who remained 
back into their forts. This was a terrible blow to the 
colony. The following winter found them without enough 
food and as many died of starvation as had died at the 
hands of the Indians. The next year the white men 
planned an attack upon their savage neighbors. They did 
this so thoroughly that they revenged themselves com- 
pletely for the outrage of the year before. So many of the 
natives were killed and so much of their crops destroyed that 
they were forced westward into the mountains and did not 
trouble Virginia for many years after. 



96 HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 

Smith's Last Voyage and the Close of His Life. — Smith 
had now been at home two years and was again strong and 
well. His friends had been kind in giving dinners and 
parties in his honor but he did not care for life of this sort. 
He soon had two ships fitted out to make a voyage to 
America under his command. This time he sailed the 
coast north of the river Henry Hudson had discovered with 
his Dutch fleet. He named the country New England as it 
is called today. He traded with the natives and returned to 
England with a rich cargo of skins and furs. The king 
gave him the title of Admiral of New England. 

He never again sailed to America, but spent the rest of 
his days in Old England writing the story of his travels 
and adventures. 



PART TWO- COLONISTS 



MILES STANDISH 




The Pilgrims Seek Liberty of Wor- 
ship. — When James I became King of 
England after the death of Queen Eliz- 
abeth, people were not allowed to wor- 
ship God in any church they pleased. 
The law said that all must attend ser- 
vice in the way directed by the King. 

They Leave England and Settle in 
Holland. — Some of the people did not 
like this and in order to avoid it they James i. 

left England and settled in Holland. They were called 
Pilgrims and lived peacefully in the city of Ley den. The 
Dutch wanted them to stay for they were good people and 
hard working. But these English Pilgrims did not want 
their children to be Dutch when they grew up ; so when they 
had been in Holland about ten years the Pilgrims made up 
their minds to seek a home in the new world across the 
ocean. They knew about Virginia and the English colony 
settled there and they had heard also of voyages made by 
Henry Hudson, Goswold and others along the coast of 
America farther north. To this country they decided to go. 

A Gallant Soldier Who Becomes a Great Help to the 
Pilgrims. — There was living in Holland at this time an 

97 



98 



HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 



English soldier named Miles Standish. He did not belong 
to the Pilgrim church although he was very friendly to the 
little band of exiles. When they talked of leaving Holland 
to settle in the new world Standish said he would go with 
them. It was a lucky day for the Pilgrims when this good 

brave captain decided to do so, 
for Miles Standish helped the 
little colony in their many trials 
and times of danger. 

The Speedwell Sails from 
Holland. — A tiny vessel not 
more than fifty feet long named 
the Speedwell was bought and 
fitted out. It was of course too 
small to carry all who wanted 

MA S/uJa'Jj, to f- Be f des - ma , ny were not 

well enough and others were too 
timid, to cross a wide and stormy 
sea to live in a new country. So 
a large number were left in Hol- 
land, the pastor, Mr. Robinson, staying with them. Elder 
Brewster took his place as head of the church and sailed with 
the little company. In July, 1620, the Speedwell with the 
small band of Christian heroes, left the harbor of Delft 
Haven. A fair wind carried the vessel across the channel 
to the British port of Southampton. Here they found the 
Mayflower, a much larger vessel, with a party of Pilgrims 
from England, awaiting the arrival of the Speedwell. On 
August fifth all things being ready, both vessels weighed 








Miles Standish and His Signature. 



MILES STANDISH 



99 



anchor and put to sea. They had been out but a day or 
two when it was found that the Speedwell was leaking and 
the only safe thing to do was to turn back to England. So 
both vessels returned to Plymouth, the nearest port. Here 
the Speedwell was examined and found unfit for the long 
rough voyage. Twenty of the passengers were left behind 
while the rest were taken on the Mayflower although that 
ship was already too crowded. 

In the Mayflower the Pilgrims Leave the Old World for 
the New. — Over one hundred were now on the little ship and 
once more they 
set sail for the 
trip across the 
wide ocean. 
Stormy weather, 
sea-sickness and 
some deaths 
made the long 
voyage a sad 
one. After two 
months' sailing, 
it was with 
thankful hearts 
they reached Cape Cod on the coast of Massachusetts, and 
cast anchor in the bay on the western side of the cape. 

Cape Cod Does Not Look Promising. — The same day a 
party of sixteen men, well armed, under Captain Miles 
Standish, was sent ashore to explore the nearby country. 
They soon returned with a report that was not very hopeful. 




On Board the Mayflower. (After the Painting by Weir.) 



100 HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 

The land was sandy and poor, but covered with scrub oaks 
and evergreens. No fresh water was found nor signs of any 
natives. They cut cedar branches which were burned on 
the brick hearth of the ship, and, with fish caught in the 
bay and sea-fowl which were shot, the poor homesick exiles 
became more comfortable. 

The First Sunday in the New World. — The next day 
being Sunday, these devout people who had left their native 
land and gone out into the wilderness that they might wor- 
ship God freely, kept the day holy to the Lord. The good 
Elder Brewster led the service and preached from the deck 
of the Mayflower, while the whole company joined in 
hymns of praise to God for bringing them thus far in safety. 

The next day the Pilgrims drew up a brief form of 
government and John Carver was chosen governor for 
one year. 

Serious duties faced the little band who had come so 
many miles to make a new home and the first thing to decide 
was the right place to land and form a settlement. 

The Pilgrims had brought the framework and lumber for 
a small boat which they now put together, as the Mayflower 
was too large a vessel to cruise in the shallow waters of the 
coast. 

Seeking a Landing Place. — The members of the com- 
pany were tired of the ship and wanted to get to work on 
shore, clearing the land and putting up houses. Miles 
Standish with fifteen men went ashore to search for a 
suitable place to settle. They were well armed and 
supplied with food to last several days. They were 



MILES STANDISH 



101 



going into an unknown country where they might ex- 
pect the woods to be filled with savages, but they were 




Miles Standish Seeks a Place for 
the Settlement. 

brave men and each had his 

musket and sword. They 

also wore armor made of tough leather covered with pieces 

of metal. 

First Sight of Indians. — The party walked along the 
coast for about a mile when they saw six or seven Indians 
with a dog coming towards them. As soon as the savages 
caught sight of the company of white men they were 
frightened and fled into the woods. The Pilgrims wanted 
to be friendly and ran after them, but night came on before 



102 



HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 



they could catch up with them. At dark the Pilgrims made 
a rude camp of logs and branches and built a rousing fire, for 
the night was cold. Some slept while others kept watch 
and at daybreak they started to travel again. A spring of 
water, cool and bubbling from the moss, gave them a re- 
freshing drink, and they 
also gathered some wild 
berries which were sweet 
and pleasant. Farther on 
they came to some mounds 
which proved to be Indian 
graves, near one of which 
was a basket full of Indian 
corn. The Pilgrims had 
never seen corn before but 
they could tell it was some- 
thing good to eat. As their 
own supply of food was al- 
most gone, the sight of the 
golden ears of corn gave 
them great joy and they 

Finding the Corn. tQQk ftwfty ^ much ag they 

could carry. They were honest men and wished to pay for 
what they took but there was no one about to receive the 
money. Some time later when it was learned who put the 
corn in that place, the Pilgrims gave the Indians full pay 
for what they had taken. 

The Pilgrims Land at Plymouth. — In this trip on land 
the Pilgrims first saw the Indian houses and described them 




MILES STANDISH 



103 



as made of a framework of young saplings covered with 
mats. They were shaped like beehives, big enough to al- 
low a man to stand upright, had a mat for a door and sleep- 
ing mats were laid about. The fire-place was in the middle 
and a hole in the top served as a chimney. 

This was all well enough for the hardy Indians but the 
white men with their women and children wanted more corn- 




Landing at Plymouth. 

fort in the houses they intended to build. The men took 
the little boat to further explore the coast and finally decided 
on a part of the shore on the western side of the bay. Here 
they found a stream of clear, sweet water, well stocked with 
fish. A little back from the shore stood a high hill which 
would be a good place for a fort. The rest of the company, 
including the women and children, were brought from the 
Mayflower in the little boat and landed on this spot. They 



104 



HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 



named it Plymouth after the town in England from which 
they had sailed. 

Building Their Houses. — Then began the work of clear- 
ing the ground, cutting timber and building houses. They 
first erected a building called the "Commons" for the 
storage of goods and holding meetings. Nineteen dwelling 

houses were then 
put up. These 
were all made of 
logs with roofs of 
dried sea-grass laid 
on thickly, and 
chimneys of stones 
plastered with 
clay. They made 
rude shutters and 
doors, roughly cut 
and probably badly fitted, for the only carpenter in the 
company was sick. When the buildings were finished and 
the families living in them, the place began to look quite 
like a little town. The settlers had five cannon which they 
mounted on the hill, pointing in different directions. As the 
Indians were known to be near at hand a regular guard was 
formed under the command of Captain Standish, to be ready 
for defence. 

Christmas day, which came three days after the land- 
ing, was not spent in the usual merry making. There was 
much work to be done, besides many were sick and had to 
be cared for, the supply of food was running very low and 




Building the "Commons." 



MILES STANDISH 



105 



there was always the fear of Indians as their wild shouts were 
often heard. Of the little company that sailed from England 
almost half the number had died and those that survived 
were too busy and serious to have time or desire for pleas- 
ure. Even the children, with the dread of Indians always 
about them, were not free to play as boys and girls are in 
these happier days. 

An Indian Visitor. — The Pilgrims were willing to be 
friendly with the natives but they were not willing to trust 




Samoset Makes a Call. 

them fully. Captain Standish could muster but twenty 
men whom he kept armed and prepared for defense. This 
was a small force to resist an attack of perhaps thousands 
of savages. But with more intelligence and the use of guns, 
together with the cannon mounted on the hill, the white 
men felt they could make a brave fight against almost any 



106 HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 

force of Indians armed only with bows and arrows. Still 
they would rather the Indians kept away till the colony 
had grown stronger. 

They were amazed one day to see an Indian come boldly 
walking past the houses to the place of meeting and even 
offer to enter the Commons which was now called the town 
hall. His first salute was, "Welcome"; then he told the 
surprised company his name was Samoset. He had come 
from the regions of the Kenebec River in Maine where he 
had met English fishermen who had sailed down the coast 
from Newfoundland. From them he had learned enough 
of the language to talk. The Plymouth Pilgrims who had 
never spoken to an Indian were greatly interested in hear- 
ing what he had to tell. He said he was a "sagamore" or 
chief from the north and explained how it was that the 
white men had found empty Indian huts and tools, besides 
stores of corn. There had been a great plague that had 
killed or driven away a large tribe that had settled on this 
part of the coast. This accounted for the quantity of corn 
the Pilgrims had found and made use of and it also gave them 
the hope of paying the owners for what they had taken. 
Samoset was fond of talking and told them many things 
the Pilgrims were anxious to know about the various tribes 
in the neighborhood of Plymouth. Captain Standish did not 
want him to stay too long, however, and find out the small 
number of the white settlers. As the night came on they 
wanted to get rid of the chief but Samoset showed no desire 
to leave. He consented to go on board the ship to pass the 
night: but the wind was so high they could not take him 



MILES STANDISH 107 

in the small boat. So they lodged him in one of the 
houses but kept a careful guard. The next day Samoset 
left, as he said, to visit the great sagamore, Massasoit. He 
received a present of a knife, a bracelet and a ring, promising 
to return in a few days, bringing with him some of Massasoit's 
people, and some beaver skins to sell. 

Samoset Brings More Visitors. — Later he returned 
with three other Indians. The name of one was Squan- 
tum; it was said that he was the only living member 
of the Patuxat tribe who had formerly occupied the land 
on which the Pilgrims had now settled. He had been 
taken captive by a pirate vessel, commanded by Cap- 
tain Hunt, who carried him to Spain and sold him as a 
slave. He was found by a kind Englishman who bought 
his freedom, took him first to England and afterwards sent 
him back to his native land. Squantum was grateful for 
this kindness. As he had learned the language while in 
England, he proved to be a good friend and a great help to 
the colonists in their dealings with the Indians. Samoset 
and Squantum brought the startling news that the great 
sagamore or king Massasoit with his brother, Quadequina, 
in company with sixty warriors, was near at hand to pay the 
Pilgrims a friendly visit. 

A Treaty of Peace. — Massasoit was a remarkable man. 
He was very large, in the prime of life, of grave and stately 
manner, quiet in speech and ever proving faithful to his 
promises and obligations. He wore a chain of white bone 
beads about his neck, and a little bag of tobacco which he 
smoked and presented to Governor Carver to smoke. There 



108 



HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 




was a friendly talk and then a treaty of peace was made. 
It was put in writing by the Pilgrims and agreed that these 
Indians and the settlers were to live in friendship and give 
help to each other in any just war. The Indians promised to 

settle near by during 



the summer and to 
plant a field of corn 
south of the brook. 
The Pilgrims were well 
pleased to be on friendly 
terms with their nearest 
neighbors. The May- 
flower had sailed for 
England and the little 
band of colonists, much 
reduced from its original number, was left to its own re- 
sources. Summer was coming on. Squantum gave them 
the Indian rules for planting corn. Everyone was willing 
to work and affairs looked hopeful for the colony. 

Return Visit to Massasoit. — As soon as their planting 
was well completed it was decided to return Massasoit's 
visit. Two men only could be spared so Edward Winslow 
and Stephen Hopkins were sent; Squantum went with them 
as guide and interpreter. The messengers carried as presents 
to the Indian chief, a bright red coat, a copper chain, and 
some bright beads of glass. During the journey they came 
across several settlements of Indians who received them 
kindly and gave them food to eat. The white men took 
occasion to show their skill at shooting to impress the 



Trading with the Indians. 



MILES STANDISH 



109 



natives with their power. They finally arrived at Massa- 
soit's village and found that he was away, but the chief was 
sent for and soon returned. As he approached, the Pil- 
grims fired their guns in salute to the great fright of the 
squaws and children who scampered into the woods. Mas- 
sasoit received the messengers kindly and was delighted 
with the red coat 
and necklace which 
he put on at once. 
The peace-pipe was 
smoked and the even- 
ing spent in talk but 
the visitors had to 
go to bed hungrjr for 
no supper had been 
offered. The next 
day they started for 
home which they 
reached tired from 
the long tramp, wet 
from thunder-storms 
and hungry because of the scarcity of food at Massasoit's 
camp. 

Thanksgiving. — The colony was now quite prosperous. 
Crops had been plentiful and furs had been gathered to 
send to England in payment for money loaned by the mer- 
chants. Timber had been cut for new buildings; fish and 
game were abundant in the rivers and forests. Indians 
were friendly and often came to visit the settlement. In 




Going to Church in Pilgrim Days. 



110 



HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 



view of their good fortune Governor Bradford decided to 
have a season of rejoicing. Four men were sent hunting and 
secured game enough for a week. Then they gave them- 
selves up to holiday making with such sports as they had 
known in England. Captain Standish arranged a military 
drill and shooting match. Massasoit with about ninety 
of his men, came, bringing five deer which they had shot 




The Thanksgiving Feast. 

for the feast. The festival lasted for a week to the en- 
joyment of all. 

Thus was started in America a thanksgiving for God's 
blessings, which has been observed ever since at the close of 
harvest. It is now confined to one day which we celebrate 
in November as Thanksgiving Day. 

New Arrivals from England.— Not long after this a vessel 
was seen sailing into the bay. The Pilgrims were alarmed 
fearing it was a French ship coming to attack them. Stand- 



MILES STANDISH 111 

ish called the men to arms and prepared for defense. As 
the vessel drew near they saw the English flag flying from 
the mast head and knew they had nothing to fear. The 
ship proved to be the Fortune and had on board thirty-five 
passengers come to join the colony. Some of the men 
were welcome but for the most part the others did not add 
to the strength of the settlement. They brought neither 
supplies nor weapons and would not work until forced to do 
so. But Captain Standish thought he could use them in 
case of trouble with the Indians, which in fact came soon 
afterwards. 

Challenge of Arrows and Snake Skin. — The Narra- 
gansetts who had always been unfriendly to the whites began 
to make threats of attacking the colony. One day an Indian 
messenger came and left a bundle for Squantum. On open- 
ing the package there was found a number of arrows around 
which was wrapped the skin of a snake. Squantum knew 
the meaning of these articles. He explained that the 
arrows meant warfare, and the skin of the rattlesnake gave 
warning like the rattle of the reptile when about to attack. 
•, Standish accepted the challenge by returning to the Indian 
chief the snake skin stuffed with powder and bullets. 
Meanwhile they built a strong palisade around the entire 
settlement, including the hill on which the cannon were 
posted. The message had its effect upon the natives and 
no attack was made at that time. 

To show his importance, Squantum brought a rumor 
that Massasoit had turned against his white friends and was 
marching to attack them. This was found to be false. Mas- 



112 



HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 



sasoit was so angry at being accused of unfaithfulness that he 
asked for the surrender of Squantum that he might put him 
to death, but Governor Bradford would not consent to this. 

Word came soon after this time that Massasoit was sick 
and likely to die. Mr. Winslow and Mr. Hampden were sent 
to visit the sick chief. It was a perilous journey but they 
took it bravely. When they reached his bed-side and found 
the nature of his illness they gave him medicine that helped 
him for which he was grateful. Massasoit told them that 
many of the Indian tribes were planning to attack the 
Plymouth colony and they were thus put on their guard. 
No general uprising happened, although Captain Standish 
and his men had many encounters with the savages, whom 
they always defeated by the use of their firearms. 

The Colony Increases. — One vessel after another arrived 
bringing new people to the colony. On one of the ships was 




The Settlement at Plymouth. 



a young woman named Barbara. Captain Standish fell in 
love with her, and they were soon married. Captain 
Standish made a visit to England on some business affairs 
and after an absence of five months returned to Plymouth. 



NEW ENGLAND SETTLERS AND THE INDIANS 113 

The colony had now outgrown the space on the land as 
first laid out. Many felt they needed more ground and 
they began a settlement on the north side of the bay, naming 
it Duxbury. Miles Standish was one of those who settled 
here and built a house on what is known as Captain's Hill. 
Here he died in 1656 and on this lofty hill has been erected 
a splendid monument to the memory of the brave soldier 
who gave such valuable help in the planting of a Christian 
colony in the New World. 



ROGER WILLIAMS 

AN OUTCAST FOR CONSCIENCE' SAKE 

The man who is willing to risk his comfort and perhaps 
his life for what he believes to be right is a great man, whether 
his name has been written in books of history or not. Such 
a man was Roger Williams, the founder of Rhode Island. 

A Bright Boy. — Roger was born in London, England, 
when James was king — at least this is so to the best of our 
knowledge, for all record of his birth has long ago been lost. 
He was a bright boy and one fond of study, for we find him 
at the age of fourteen in the "Star Chamber," one of the 
great court rooms of England, taking notes of the speeches 
which were made there. This probably meant that he had 
friends among the wealthy and noble men of the country, 
for no others belonged to this court. 

An Influential Friend. — Among these men was Sir 
Edward Coke, at one time said to be the greatest lawyer in 
England. Sir Edward took a fancy to Roger Williams, and 
used his influence to have him placed in a new school which 
had just been founded in London. In those days there were 
no public schools as we have them to-day. Rich boys were 
taught at home by tutors, but poor boys had small chance of 
receiving any education at all. This school to which Roger 
was allowed to go was for such poor boys as had ability and 
were willing to work hard at their studies. Roger was 
certainly one of these. So well did he succeed that in two 

114 



ROGER WILLIAMS 



115 



years he was ready to go to the great English university at 
Cambridge where lawyers and teachers, doctors and clergy- 
men, and learned men of all kinds were trained. 




Young Roger Williams taking notes in "Star Chamber." 

Roger Becomes a Puritan. — Of course, Sir Edward Coke 
wanted Roger to be a lawyer like himself, and at first this 
was the plan. Later, however, Roger became very fond of 
the study of the Bible and of matters connected with the 
church. At last he decided not to be a lawyer but a clergy- 
man. He refused to believe many of the things taught in 
the English church, so he had a great deal of trouble in find- 
ing a parish which would have him as its minister. One 
story told about Roger is that he was very much in love with 
a rich young lady, but could not ask her to be his wife for he 



116 HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 

could find no position that would pay him enough to support 
a family. The young lady married someone else and Roger 
was for a time very sad. This was probably the first sacri- 
fice which he had to make for the sake of his conscience. 
Although later he found both a position and a wife, he never 
was happy as a clergyman in the Church of England and 
soon became a Puritan. The Puritans were those who did 
not desire to leave the church, but who felt it should be 
"purified" or improved." 

He Sails to America. — We have already learned from 
our story of Miles Standish how the Pilgrims sailed to the 
bleak shores of Massachusetts to find a home where they 
could worship God as they pleased. Some while after the 
Pilgrims had settled at Plymouth another band of people 
secured a grant of land in the new world and settled where 
the city of Boston now stands. These were Puritans. 
When Roger Williams heard of their colony he decided to 
join them. He accordingly set sail and arrived in the 
spring of the year 1631. At first the colonists at Boston 
were happy at the coming of so learned a man who was 
thought to believe just as they did. 

His Liberal Opinions Cause Trouble. — Very soon, how- 
ever, he got into trouble with the authorities at Boston, and 
went to Salem, a town some miles north of Boston, and be- 
came assistant pastor there. He insisted, however, that the 
magistrates had no right to punish men for not going to 
church, as that was a matter a man must decide for himself. 
This made him objectionable to the leaders at Salem, and he 
was forced to go to Plymouth, where he assisted the minister. 
He also made a study of the language of the Indians, in 



ROGER WILLIAMS 



11' 



whom he took a very keen interest. It was not long before 
the people of Salem asked him to come back and be their 
minister. This was opposed by the governor at Boston, and 
although Williams did return to Salem, his teaching raised 
a storm of protest from the leaders of the colony at Boston. 
For instance, Williams said the king had no right to give 
away the land in America which really belonged to the 
Indians and that the colo- 
nists should therefore buy it 
from them. He also said 
that the magistrates could 
not make a wicked person 
pray, as prayer was a form 
of worship, and worship was 
a matter of conscience ; mag- 
istrates only had authority 
over the bodies and not over 
the souls of men. For these 
liberal notions, which seem 
•to us very reasonable, Wil- 
liams was tried by the gen- 
eral court and was banished 
from the colony. 

In Exile. — In the middle 
of winter he left Boston, with its snug little houses and its 
warm hearths, and walked out into the snow-clad forest. 
But Roger Williams was not afraid. He would have died 
rather than give up his beliefs. In his study of the language 
of the Indians he had made friends with many of the sav- 
ages, and this friendship was now to stand him in good 




Roger Williams exiled in the woods. 



118 HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 

stead. On the shores of Narragansett Bay he lived with 
his Indian friends, sleeping in their tents and eating their 
food. Finally he bought from two of their chiefs, Canonicus 
and Miantonomah, a strip of land on which he determined 
to build a colony. 

Freedom of Worship. — The new colony [was to be free 
to all, whatever their opinions. The Pilgrims and Puritans 
had fled from England to find a land where they could wor- 
ship as they pleased. But apparently they were unwilling 
to give anyone else that privilege, for in their own way they 
were as intolerant of others as ever England had been of 
them. At last a colony was to be founded, however, which 
was to let a man worship God as he pleased. The new 
colony was at first called Providence, in token of Roger 
Williams' thankfulness to God for his preservation in the 
wilderness. Many people came, and as they represented 
different beliefs, there was at first much quarreling, but later 
the settlements prospered, as they well deserved to do. 

Roger Williams Saves Massachusetts from the Indians. 
— At one time some years later the settlements around 
Massachusetts were threatened with attack by the sur- 
rounding Indian tribes. They were very much frightened 
and formed a league of protection, but they would not allow 
Roger Williams' colony to join the league, for they had not 
forgiven him for his troublesome opinions. Nevertheless it 
was Williams they had to thank for saving them from a 
terrible Indian massacre. When he heard of the Indians' 
plan to attack the other settlements he went to their chiefs 
and because of his friendship for them and because they 
trusted him Roger Williams was able to persuade the In- 



ROGER WILLIAMS 



119 



dians not to make the attack. Thus the people who turned 
him out into the winter wilderness owed their lives to his 
influence with their savage enemies. 

Rhode Island, as the new colony was later called, con- 
tinued to grow and prosper until at last it became a state 
in the United States of America. The smallest state of all, 
it gives the largest liberty to its people; and the freedom of 
worship which we to-day enjoy all over the great country is 
due in no small part to the courage and determination of 
the founder of Rhode Island, Roger Williams. 



THE NEW ENGLAND SETTLERS AND THE INDIANS 



continued to be the 
During a war between 



The Pequod War. — Massasoit 
friend of the people of Plymouth, 
the settlers and the Pequod In- 
dians, a fierce tribe from the west, 
Massasoit's people were on the 
side of the English. The Pequods 
were defeated, those who were 
left alive taking refuge where they 
could. Most of the Indian tribes 
were afraid to receive these fugi- 
tives because they were the ene- 
mies of the English with their 
wonderful guns and steel armor. 

So the poor Pequods wandered about from place to place 
until the tribe was lost altogether. In this war the Wampa- 
noags, Massasoit's tribe, were safe from attack but they 
too, began to fear the white men. They thought that some 




Indian Warrior. 



120 HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 

day the white men would want all their land and they 
would have to give it up or be wiped out as were the 
Pequods. 

The Sons of Massasoit. — When Massasoit died, he left 
two sons, Wamsutta and Pometacom. He had more than 
once taken these boys to Plymouth, where the white people 
had renamed them Alexander and Philip. The older of 
these sons, Alexander, succeeded his father as chief but 
lived only about a year. His wife, Wetamoo, and his brother, 
Philip, believed that his death was caused by poison given 
him by the whites. There seems to be no reason for think- 
ing this, but it was believed by many of the Indians. 

Trouble Begins. — Philip, Massasoit's second son, now 
became sachem of the Wampanoags. Philip, although he 

pretended to be 
friendly to the 
white men, in 
his heart hated 
them. He be- 

Indian Bow and Arrows. . 

gan secretly to 
gather the tribes together to drive the whites from the land. 
The English heard of his plot and ordered him to appear 
before them. He came in his war paint accompanied by a 
band of warriors. At first he was very haughty, refusing 
to answer the questions asked him, but after a time he broke 
down and confessed. He then made a treaty with the Eng- 
lish and promised to punish any of the Indians who did 
them harm. 

It was soon shown that Philip had no intention of 




NEW ENGLAND SETTLERS AND THE INDIANS 



121 



keeping this treaty. There were at this time in New 
England over a thousand Indians who had been converted 
to Christianity and who were living in peaceful villages 
where they were becoming somewhat civilized. One of 
these Indians named Sassamon heard that there was to be 
another uprising of the tribes and brought the news to the 
settlers. He begged them not to tell who had informed 
them. But the secret leaked out, as secrets have a way of 
doing, and a few days later Sassamon was found drowned 
in a creek. The English were very angry and caught 
several Indians who were suspected. These men were 
tried and found guilty. They were then put to death. 

King Philip. — When Philip heard of this he decided to 
wait no longer. He feared he might be the next whom the 
whites would arrest and put to death for his crimes. All 
was ready. Philip was a man of much ability. He had 
formed a league of most of the 
New England tribes and was him- 
self chosen as the leader. He was 
now called King Philip. Begin- 
ning with the white settlers near- 
est his own home in Rhode Island, 
his braves began to burn and kill 
in the terrible way the whites had 
already learned to fear. Troops 
were immediately raised in Boston 
and Plymouth and marched against the Indians. Philip 
kept his warriors safely hidden. One band of English under 
Captain Church was at one time surrounded near the coast 




Captain Church and His Band. 



122 HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 

and only escaped by fleeing to a ship which had been sent 
to rescue them. 

A Merciless War. — At last Philip and the main body of 
his warriors took refuge in a swamp. The English who 
had received reinforcements decided to surround the 
swamp and starve the Indians out. They were so con- 
fident of catching the Indian king that they became care- 
less and under the cover of darkness Philip and many of 
his followers made their escape. 

At another time a little settlement called Brookfield 
was attacked by the Indians. The settlers all crowded into 
a blockhouse, from the loopholes of which they fired upon 
the Red Skins. The Indians set fire to the other houses, 
shot the cattle, and made every effort to burn the 
blockhouse. At last they filled a wagon with hay and 
pine boughs. Setting this afire they ran it against the 
blockhouse. Seeing that their only place of safety was 
about to catch fire, the white people were ready to sur- 
render when rain began to fall and the flames were ex- 
tinguished. For three days the little garrison held out 
until troops from Boston arrived and drove the Indians 
away. 

At Deerfield, in western Massachusetts, there was a 
large quantity of grain gathered in the barns. When the 
people got news of the coming of the Indians the women 
and children fled. Captain Lathrop and a body of picked 
men stayed to guard the grain as it was loaded upon wagons 
and carried away. While they were traveling along, glad 
that they had succeeded in saving the grain, they were 



NEW ENGLAND SETTLERS AND THE INDIANS 123 

suddenly attacked by the savages and the captain and 
nearly all of his troop were slain. 

The Indian Fort. — Many other towns suffered as did 
these and all the settlers were in terror. Winter was now 
coming on and King Philip gathered his followers to- 
gether in a fort which he had had built on an island in the 
middle of a swamp. This fort was so well made that it 
was believed it could not be captured. Within the fort was 
a great quantity of grain and supplies for the winter and 
about five hundred wigwams in which nearly three thousand 
Indians lived. All around it were palisades or rows of long 
stakes driven close together into the ground and sharpened 
at the upper ends. Between two rows of these stakes 
was a mass of twigs and branches with their tops pointing 
outward. 

Anyone attacking this fort would have to climb over 
these sharpened stakes, through the hedge of branches, 
over another row of stakes, and then into the fort. While 
this was being done the Indians would, of course, have 
plenty of time to drive off the attacking party. But there 
was just one place where an opening in the palisade allowed 
the Red Men themselves to get in and out. This entrance 
was always guarded and could be approached only by 
means of a fallen log across which only one man could 
walk at a time. The Indians felt very safe about this 
entrance. 

The Capture. — Yet it was here that the English gained 
entrance to the fort. Their bravery was splendid. The 
first who crossed the log were shot down by the Indian 



124 



HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 



arrows, but others followed . A hand-to-hand struggle took 
place in the narrow entrance. For three hours they fought 
and then the English began to win. The Indians were 
driven back and their wigwams set on fire. Many were 
burned. A few escaped to a nearby swamp but they had 
no food and perished of cold and hunger. 

The End of King Philip's War. — Philip, however, was 
not caught. He lived to raise other bands of Indians and 
carry on his war against the whites. But the capture of 
the fort was the beginning of the end. The Indians had 
lost heart and one tribe after another made peace with the 
English until Philip had few left who were faithful to him. 
His wife and son, his sister and many 
of his relatives were prisoners; but still 
he fought on. He saw that he could 
never drive the white men from the 
land and that he must lose in the end. 
Yet he would not give up. At last one 
of his followers proved to be a traitor 
and told of his hiding place to the Eng- 
lish. He died fighting his life-long foes. 
About one hundred other Indians were 
killed or taken prisoners at the same time. This, of course, 
ended King Philip's War. Hundreds of lives had been lost 
but the Indian power was broken. For many years the 
settlers had faced the danger of savage raids but never 
again was Massachusetts threatened as she had been in 
this struggle with the hostile son of the friendly Massasoit. 




Puritan. 



LORD BALTIMORE 

THE WISE PROPRIETOR 

In the years long past and gone when new countries were 
being discovered in various parts of the world it was the 
habit of kings to bestow large tracts of these lands upon their 
favorites. 

Sometimes these grants were made to the bold and brave 
men who had discovered the new land, and at other times 
they were given as a reward for some service rendered to the 
king by one of the noblemen of the court. 

Colonies in the Time of King James. — When James the 
First was king of England two large colonies were already 
settled on the coast of America; Virginia on the south and 
New England on the north. 

Between these two settlements there was a tract of land 
on which no human beings lived but tribes of Indians. The 
colonies to the north and south had grown and become quite 
prosperous by this time, and America was regarded as a 
land of riches and great promise. 

Lord Baltimore Receives a Grant of Land. — The king, 
wishing to reward Sir George Calvert for faithful services, 
first created him Lord Baltimore, and then granted him a 
tract of land directly to the north of the colony of Virginia. 
Before the necessary papers were made out and the great seal 
affixed King James died, but his son, King Charles the First, 

125 



126 HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 

promptly renewed the gift of land to Lord Baltimore, who 
gave to his new possessions the title of Maryland, in honor 
of King Charles' wife, Queen Mary. 

Lord Baltimore's private life and public career proved 
him to be fitted for the high honors bestowed upon him. 
He was educated at Oxford University and afterward held 
positions of trust under the government. 

Cecil Calvert Becomes Lord Baltimore. — When the grant 
of land for the colony in America was awarded to him he 
began at once to make plans and to prepare laws, but before 
these were completed Lord Baltimore suddenly died, and 
the charter for the possession in the new world passed to 
his son Cecil, who became the second Lord Baltimore. 

Cecil at once started to fit out an expedition with settlers 
for the colony, but met with strong opposition from the 
beginning. The members of the Virginia Company, both 
in America and in England, objected to the new colony and 
tried in every way to stop it. 

The Ark and the Dove Set Sail. — However, two vessels, 
the Ark and the Dove, set sail for the new world with settlers 
and supplies. 

Lord Baltimore wished and fully intended to accompany 
this expedition, but his enemies at home so actively opposed 
his charter and his plans that he thought it wise to remain 
in England and watch over his affairs there. 

He regretted this necessity, for it prevented him from 
ever seeing the colony which he established with so much 
care and expense. 

Although Cecil was not able to join the party on their 



LORD BALTIMORE 



127 



voyage to the new possessions, he carefully prepared a code 
of laws and appointed his brother, Leonard Calvert, deputy 
governor of the province. Leonard took the leadership of 
the expedition, and the two little vessels, the Ark and the 
Dove, started on their stormy voyage across the Atlantic. 
Tribute of Two Indian Arrows. — The terms of the charter 
required that two Indian arrows be delivered every year to 




Delivering the arrows to King Charles. 

the King of England at Windsor Castle, and this contract 
was always faithfully kept. 

When the Ark and the Dove, after a rough passage across 
the ocean, reached the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay new 
troubles began to arise. Some distance up the bay and 
within the boundary lines of the new province of Maryland 




Indian woman showing the use of corn. 



12S 



LORD BALTIMORE 129 

was Kent Island, upon which William Clayborne, a former 
Virginian, had settled and established a trading post. 
Clayborne felt by reason of his discovery and settlement of 
the island he was not only the owner, but he bitterly ob- 
jected to having anyone in authority over him. During his 
whole life he resisted the governor and council of Maryland, 
refused to obey their laws, and in many ways succeeded in 
causing much annoyance. 

Friendly Relations with the Indians. — With the Indian 
tribes in the neighborhood Lord Baltimore's colony obtained 
at once friendly relations due to the just laws prepared by 
Cecil and carefully followed by the colonists. The Indians 
living in this section of the country were peaceable and well- 
behaved farmers. They raised large quantities of maize 
or Indian corn and taught the colonists how to use it for 
cooking into delicious food, such as corn-bread, pone, and 
hominy. The Indians also showed the white men where to 
hunt for the best game and fish, and in return received from 
the settlers metal goods, tools, and pieces of cloth brought 
with them from England. The bright colors were especially 
attractive to both the men and women of the tribes. 

Thus for many years the colonists continued to live in 
pleasant and peaceable relations with their Indian neigh- 
bors, sometimes assisting them in fighting the more savage 
tribes who came to attack them. They cultivated their 
farms together and many of the Indians were converted 
to Christianity. 

After King Charles the First was put to death and Eng- 
land was governed without a king some disturbances arose 



130 HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 

in the Maryland colony, and Lord Baltimore was deprived 
of his power as proprietor. When Charles the Second be- 
came king of England the charter of Maryland was restored 
and Lord Baltimore again given control. 

Charles Calvert Becomes Proprietor.— When Cecil, Lord 
Baltimore, died, his son Charles succeeded to the title and 
estates. The new proprietor had been governor of the col- 
ony for many years and he continued to reside in the 
province and direct its affairs in person. The tribute of 
two Indian arrows continued to be paid and delivered to the 
King of England. The province grew in numbers and 
wealth under the wise and liberal rule of the Calverts until 
the Declaration of Independence, when Maryland became 
one of the United States of America. 



PETER STUYVESANT 

The Settlement on Manhattan Island. — Peter Stuyve- 
sant, who had been in command of one of the Dutch West 
India Islands, was appointed governor of New Amsterdam. 
New Amsterdam, as you probably know, is now called New 
York and included all the land about New York Bay and the 
Hudson River. After Henry Hudson had discovered this 
country the Dutch had organized a company and placed in 
charge Peter Minuet, the same man whom the Swedes later 
employed. 

Manhattan Island, where New York City now is, was 
chosen for the settlement. It stood at the mouth of the 
Hudson River and at the head of New York Bay, one of the 
greatest harbors in the world. This river flowed through the 
richest fur-trading country of the Indians. For a trading 
post it was the best location on the American continent. 
Minuet bought the whole island from the Indians for twenty- 
four dollars. To buy this land now would take many hun- 
dreds of millions of dollars. Another fort was built on the 
Hudson where the city of Albany now is. A treaty was 
made with the Indians and a brisk trade in furs began which 
soon became very profitable. You can see from this that 
Peter Minuet made a very good Director, as he was called. 
But after him came two other men. The first was lazy and 
the second cruel. New Amsterdam did not prosper under 
these men and the settlement was both poor and weak when 
Peter Stuyvesant came. 

131 



132 



HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 



Peter Stuyvesant. — He had been a soldier all his life, 

having lost a leg 
while fighting for his 
country. This was 
replaced by a wood- 
en one handsomely 
mounted with silver. 
Governor Stuyves- 
ant was rather proud 
of this leg and he 
must have been quite 
a sight as he stamped 
about, red in the face 
and shouting orders 
at everybody in a 
loud voice. He was 

Peter Stuyvesant in New Amsterdam. accustomed to have 

prompt obedience when he gave commands. This the peo- 
ple of New Amsterdam were not used to and they had many 
quarrels with the new director. But he was wise and ener- 
getic and the colony prospered under his leadership. 

Stuyvesant Visits Printz. — The news which he received 
from South River, as the Delaware was then called, annoyed 
him and he determined to make a visit to Governor John 
Printz of New Sweden. It had happened that both the 
Dutch and the Swedes had behaved rather badly to each 
other on the Delaware. Wars have often begun with far 
less excuse. But Holland and Sweden were close friends at 
this time and neither Printz nor Stuyvesant cared to fight. 




PETER STUYVESANT 133 

So they were very polite and Printz entertained his Dutch 
neighbor with those wonderful meals of which he was so fond. 

The Coming of the English. — The Swedes and Dutch 
liyed peaceably together for many years carrying on a brisk 
fur trade with the Indians. But the people who were to 
drive the Dutch away were already established in New 
England to the north and in Virginia to the south. These 
were the English. England had already had one war with 
Holland and in 1664 another war broke out between the two 
countries. King Charles of England decided that it would 
be a good time to capture New Netherland, as the Dutch 
country in America was called. He therefore gave this 
land, which, of course, hardly belonged to him, to his 
brother, the Duke of York. The Duke was the Lord High 
Admiral of England and he lost no time in fitting out a fleet 
of four ships under the command of Colonel Richard 
Nicolls. The preparations for the expedition were kept 
secret so that the Dutch might not hear of it and send their 
own fleet to interfere. 

Stuyvesant Prepares to Defend New Amsterdam. — When 
Colonel Nicolls reached America Governor Stuyvesant was 
away up the Hudson River at Fort Orange where Albany 
now is. When he heard of the English fleet be hurried to 
New Amsterdam and prepared to defend the town. The 
people were ordered to strengthen the fort and to take time 
from their daily work for military drill. But they did not 
take kindly to Governor Stuyvesant's orders. In the first 
place they did not like him. In the second place they did 
not care whether England or Holland owned New Nether- 
land as long as they were allowed to continue their trade 



134 HEROES OP EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 

with the Indians. Of course, Governor Stuyvesant was 
loyal to Holland and the Dutch West India Company and did 
his best to make the people fight against the English fleet. 

The Dutch Force Stuyvesant to Surrender. — When 
Colonel Nicolls' ships sailed into the harbor he sent a letter 
to the Dutch people demanding the surrender of the land to 
the English and promising not to interfere with the people 
or their trade. As soon as the letter was received an angry 
crowd gathered about Governor Stuyvesant urging him to 
surrender to the English. At first he was very angry, but 
he soon saw that there was no use holding out against the 
wishes of the people. He accordingly surrendered and was 
treated very politely by Colonel Nicolls who at once came 
ashore. The Dutch flag was run down, the English flag run 
up, and the Dutch colony of New Netherland became the 
English colony of New York. 

The Dutch Remain in New York. — The Dutch people 
continued to live there and indeed some of the best known 
men of New York today are descendants of these early 
Dutch Settlers. Mr. Roosevelt, Mr. Vanderbilt, Mr. Van 
Rensselaer and many other prominent men had ancestors who 
lived in New Amsterdam in the days of Peter Stuyvesant. 

Peter Stuyvesant Returns to New York. — Governor 
Stuyvesant himself returned to Holland to report the 
capture of the colony by the English, but in a little while he 
returned to New York where he lived the rest of his life 
cultivating his farm called the Bouwerij (Bowery). Here 
he died and years afterward the stone which marked his 
grave was built into the wall of St. Mark's Church in New 
York City and may be seen there today. 



WILLIAM PENN 



THE GREAT QUAKER 

A Statue. — On top of the great tower of the city hall in 
Philadelphia is a huge bronze statue. When it stood in the 
court-yard before being lifted to its high place on top of the 
tower it was seen to be as tall as a three-story house. A 
man could stand at its foot and see its great extended hand 
far above his head. Workmen could walk with ease upon 
the brim of the hat the statue wears. This 
great figure towering over the city reminds the 
people of the great man whom it represents. 
His name was William Penn and he founded 
the city of Philadelphia. It is of him that we 
are now going to learn. 

A Happy Home. — Boys and girls are often 
what their parents make them and so it is in- 
teresting to know something of the fathers and 
mothers of great men and women. William 
Penn's father, whose name was also William, 
was a British admiral. He had been a seaman all his life and 
had risen to the highest place in the English navy. He was 
rich and prosperous. The King and the Duke of York were 
among his friends. Penn's mother was the daughter of a 
Dutch merchant and was so happy and full of fun that she 
seemed to be always laughing and dancing. William had 

135 




Penn Statue. 




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#'';%V''1 ,; ^ 



&! ,; ' 



Big 



■1-*W 



' " wfcrcu i 

t ■ 

136 



''""OiliU 
Independence Hall, Philadelphia. 






P0fH 



WILLIAM PENN 137 

a younger brother Richard and a little sister Margaret who 
was so much like her mother that the house was very merry 
all day long. Although born in London, William went to 
a country school in the east of England where he learned 
Latin and Greek. He grew to be a strong sturdy boy who 
played in all the boys' games and was not afraid of hard 
knocks and falls. 

When William was twelve years of age his father was 
arrested for treason and shut up in the Tower of London. 
His family left the country and came to live near the Ad- 
miral in his trouble. After some time he was found to be 
innocent and was released but he did not wish to stay in 
London and took his family to Ireland where he owned a 
large estate. Here William was taught by private teachers, 
called tutors. He learned his lessons so well that at sixteen 
he was ready to go to the great university at Oxford. 

At Oxford. — This university is really a group of sep- 
arate colleges, each teaching about the same things. Wil- 
liam Penn went to the one called Christ Church College. 
Most of the colleges at Oxford were very old and even in 
William Penn's time their stone walls were covered with 
ivy. The fine old trees and grassy walks, the stately build- 
ings and shadowed arches are very beautiful. William who 
was a thoughtful boy as well as a strong and active one, 
was impressed by the quiet beauty of the place. 

One evening he went with some other students to hear 
a preacher named Thomas Loe. This man belonged to the 
Society of Friends. He preached that each man's con- 
science must be his guide and that all men were equal in 



138 



HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 



the sight of God. He said it was wrong for a man to take 
off his hat or to bow to any other man, no matter who he 
was, and that no one should wear any badge or dress of 
rank or position. 

Now it happened just at this time that the authorities 
of the university had ordered the students to wear gowns. 
It had always been the custom to wear these gowns but 
some years before they had been given up. Penn and some 

of his friends who had 

mr-s i. 







heard Loe decided they 
would not wear gowns 
no matter what the au- 
thorities said. When a 
group of other students 
appeared in gowns Penn 
and his friends set upon 
them and tore the gowns 
off. For this offense 
Penn was expelled from 
the college. 

Sent to France. — His father, of course, was very angry. 
It was against the law in those days for people to worship 
in any way but the king's way or go to any church but one 
of the king's churches. Admiral Penn had plans for his 
son which could never be carried out if the boy insisted 
upon breaking the law. His first thought was, therefore, 
to get young William away from Thomas Loe and his 
teachings. So he sent him to France with a group of other 
young men. They had plenty of money and letters to 



Tearing the Gowns from Students. 



WILLIAM PENN 



139 



-ill > 



nobles at the court of the French king. William appeared 
to forget about the Society of Friends. He learned to dance. 
He became skillful with his sword and dressed in the height 
of fashion. 

One night as he was passing along a dark street he was 
stopped by a man who said Penn had insulted him. A 
crowd gathered and William was forced to draw his sword 
and fight. It soon became clear that Penn was the better 
swordsman. With a 
skillful twist of his wrist 
he sent his opponent's 
sword flying from his 
hand. All thought he 
would then kill him. 
Instead of this Penn 
picked up his enemy's 
sword and handed it to 
him with a polite bow. 
This ended the quarrel 
and Penn was much 
praised for his gallant 
conduct. 

The Great Plague. — War now broke out between Eng- 
land and Holland. Admiral Penn had to take command 
of the fleet and so he sent for William to come home and care 
for the family. While living with his mother in London, 
the plague, a terrible disease, swept over the city killing 
hundreds of people. It was perhaps worst in the neighbor- 
hood where the Admiral's house stood. People died by 




The Duel in France. 



140 



HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 



the score and there were few with courage enough to nurse 
the sick. William Penn did not hesitate to go from house 
to house helping where he could. He was made very sad and 
serious by this awful calamity. He remembered the teach- 
ings of Thomas Loe and began to dress in plain clothes. 

Off to Ireland. — This alarmed his father who had now 
returned from the war and he determined to try once more 

to make his son forget the sol- 
emn preacher. This time he 
sent him to Ireland where he 
was to care for his father's 
estate and was given several 
important positions as well. 
His father had many good 
friends among the ruling men 
of Ireland and Penn soon be- 
came popular with them. On 
one occasion a mutiny broke 
out in the garrison of Carrick- 
fergus. Lord Arran was given 
the task of suppressing it. 
Penn asked to be permitted to serve with him and conducted 
himself so well that he was said to be the coolest of the cool 
and the bravest of the brave. The mutiny was put down 
and Penn was congratulated by Lord Arran. Proud of his 
success, he decided to have his portrait painted in full 
armor. This is the only portrait for which he ever sat. It 
is interesting that the man who devoted his life to the cause 
of peace should be best known in the armor of a soldier. 




William Penn — from the Portrait in 
Armor. 



WILLIAM PENN 



141 



Yet many who love the memory of William Perm are proud 
that he was not afraid to fight for a cause he believed to be 
right. 

Penn Becomes a Quaker. — Just when it seemed likely 
that Penn would become a soldier he again heard Thomas 
Loe preach in the city of Cork in Ireland. That very night 
William Penn became a Quaker. He gave up his gay life 
and himself preached to the people. He was arrested for 
this and his father was told of his conduct. He had to 




Penn in Prison. 

return to London. When William refused to remove his 
hat in his father's presence it made the Admiral very angry. 
Penn was asked if he would take off his hat in the presence 
of the King or the Duke of York. After some thought he 
replied that he would not. His father, more angry than 
ever, ordered him out of the house. 

In Prison. — William now openly associated with the 
Quakers. He became a preacher of the Society of Friends. 
He was wealthy and well educated, had many friends at 



142 HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 

court, had studied law and could help the Friends when 
they were in trouble. These people were mild and gentle 
and never did any harm. They did, however, think it wrong 
to take an oath and because Penn refused to swear allegiance 
to the king he was placed in prison. While in prison he 
wrote a number of books in which he described the teachings 
of the new sect. Admiral Penn, who was a close friend of 
the King and of the Duke of York, had enemies who were 
jealous of his good fortune. These men were only too glad 
to make things uncomfortable for the Admiral's son. 

A Royal Debt. — In time Penn was released from prison. 
Although he continued to remain a Quaker, his father, 
who loved him very dearly, received him back into his home. 
While William was still a young man his father died and, 
as the eldest son, he received most of his father's fortune. 
Part of this fortune was a debt of £16,000 which the king 
owed to the Admiral. As King Charles was in debt to many 
people there seemed very little hope of Penn ever receiving 
the money which was owing to him. To be sure he had 
plenty of money without this sum and probably would have 
thought little about it if he had not had a plan in his mind. 
For years he had tried to win for the Friends the right to 
live in England and worship as they pleased. He had many 
times served terms in prison and had seen other Quakers 
suffer even worse hardships. At last he gave up hope of 
justice in England. He thought fondly of the new country 
across the Atlantic of which there were many reports and 
to which many Englishmen had already gone. There, 
indeed, he might establish a government of his own where 




WILLIAM PENN 143 

every man would be free to think as he pleased and where 
all who behaved themselves could have justice and live 
in peace. Virginia was already settled and so was Massa- 
chusetts, but Penn knew of a tract of land between the 
Connecticut and Delaware Riv- 
ers which had been given to the 
Duke of York and in which there 
was very little settlement. He 

asked the king to give him some of this land in payment of 
the debt which he owed his father. The King hesitated for 
a time, but finally consented. He was glad to be so easily 
rid of a troublesome and long-standing debt. 

The Grant of Land. — The new colony was to extend 
along the west bank of the Delaware River about one 
hundred fifty miles and back into the country three hun- 
dred. It is now the State of Pennsylvania. Later Penn 
secured from the Duke of York the grant of the land on the 
west' bank of the Delaware River down to its mouth. This 
land is now the State of Delaware. In the 
beginning and for many years afterward it 
was part of Pennsylvania and shared in 
the wise laws of Penn's happy province. It 
was necessary that Penn have this ground, 
for, if it fell into the hands of an enemy, his 
Coat of Arms of the prov j nce C0lu d nave been shut out from the 

Penn ramuy. ^ 

sea. 
The king signed the grant of land in February, 1681, 
and the next month Penn sent his cousin, Colonel William 
Markham, to select a site for a city and to tell the people 




144 HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 

who were already settled there of the good wishes of their 
new governor who was called the proprietor. Penn told 
Markham to treat the Indians kindly and to buy from them 
any land which they held and which he might need. He 
also sent a message to the white people who had already 
settled along the Delaware. As we already know, there were 
Dutch and Swedish people living on the Delaware's shores. 
Their home countries had had bitter wars to fight with Spain 
and Austria and had had little time or money to give to their 
colonies, so they had to get along as best they could. They 
grew slowly and by the time the Quakers began to come there 
were not very many Swedes or Dutch to greet them. These, 
however, were very glad to hear the message that William 
Penn sent. In it he said the people of his colony were to 
make their own laws and were to lay their own taxes. This 
was good news indeed and Penn had no trouble with his 
foreign citizens when he set up the government of Penn- 
sylvania. 

Pennsylvania. — It is interesting to know how Pennsyl- 
vania got its name. Penn wished his province called New 
Wales because he said it was hilly like the country of Wales in 
Great Britain. The secretary, who was a Welshman, objected 
to this name and Penn then suggested Sylvania which means 
" woodland." The king insisted that it be called Pennsyl- 
vania. This was partly to compliment old Admiral Penn 
and partly because the word Pen means "highland," for the 
new country was high, rolling land just as we see it to-day. 
William Penn was afraid people would say he was vain if 
he allowed the province to bear his name in this way. He 
went to the secretary and offered him twenty guineas, about 



WILLIAM PENN 145 

one hundred dollars, to omit the "Penn" from the name. 
Fortunately the secretary refused. Thus the name became 
Pennsylvania and this is the only state that bears the name 
of its founder. 

The First Emigrants. — In the autumn of 1681 several 
vessels sailed from England for Penn's new colony. While 
two of these ships were going down the Thames River the 
King's barge passed by. The King was told these ships 
were the first Quakers going to America. Rowing close 
to the vessels the King raised his hand and, while the voy- 
agers stood with bowed heads, he gave them his blessing. 

It was December before they reached the Delaware 
and, sailing up the river, they came to a little settlement of 
Swedes at Upland which is now Chester. There they stop- 
ped for the night. In the morning they awoke to find the 
river frozen and the ships fast in the ice. The hospitable 
Swedes gave them what shelter they had, but many of the 
Quakers were forced to build mud huts or dig caves for 
themselves near the river bank. In this way they lived until 
the Spring. 

Penn Sails on the "Welcome." — All this time William 
Penn had remained in England looking after the affairs of 
his colony and anxious for the time when he himself might 
cross the Atlantic. At last in the autumn of 1682, nearly 
a year after the first colonists had left, the "Welcome," the 
stately ship that was to bear the proprietor of Pennsylvania 
to his new home, lay ready to hoist her anchor and sail to the 
westward. About one hundred others were to go with Penn 
on this voyage. The ship was well provisioned with sheep 
and hogs, fish and fowl, flour and fruit, the best to eat and 



146 



HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 



-VN 



^ 



the best to drink, for the voyage would be a long one. There 
was also on board the carved doors and window-frames, 
the carpets and furniture, for the Proprietor's house at 
Pennsbury. This was a fine estate which Colonel Markham 
had bought of the Indians and which lay along the river 

bank some miles 
above the city. 
Mrs. Penn and 
her children were 
to remain in Eng- 
land and Wil- 
liam was busy at 
the last arrang- 
ing for their com- 
fort. A voyage 
across the Atlan- 
tic was a very 

Penn Landing from the "Welcome." i t 

dangerous under- 
taking in those days and it was possible he might never 
return. 

At last all was ready and the ship set sail. Before they 
had been long at sea it was found that one of the passengers 
was sick with the small-pox. This terrible disease is dread- 
ful at best but in the crowded quarters of an old-time ship 
it was sure to spread. Nearly everyone on the vessel was 
sick. For two weeks someone died almost every day. During 
this terrible time Penn nursed the sick without thought 
of the danger to himself. He used up his store of medicines 
and supplies. Night and day he sat with the suffering and 
dying, comforting them with his wise and gentle religion. 




WILLIAM PENN 



147 



Penn Lands at Newcastle. — It was late in October when 
the sad voyage was over. On the* twenty-seventh the 
"Welcome" anchored off the town of Newcastle. The Dutch 
and Swedes and English who made up the little town 
crowded to the landing place to see the new governor. On 
the next day Penn called the people together and made a 
speech to them. He told them how he had long dreamed of 




The Old Swedes' Church, Philadelphia. 

founding a free country where the people might rule them- 
selves. At last that dream had come true and they were 
about to share in the advantages of such a land. The people, 
who were mostly simple farmers, were delighted with these 
words. They asked only that Penn would remain with them 
and rule over them himself. 



148 



HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 



Friendship with the Indians. — Unlike the other white 
men who had settled in the new world, Penn did not fear 
the Indians and from the first was friendly with them. 
He would not allow his colonists to carry firearms. He 
would walk alone into the woods and sit with the Red Men. 
He ran races with the young braves in which he usually won, 

^*^pg=~^ for he was strong and 
athletic as we al- 
ready know. The 
Indians called him 
Onas and believed 
that he was their 
friend. Colonel 
Markham when he 
first came to Penn- 
sylvania had met the 
Indians and had told 
them what kind of 
man Penn was. He 
said he would not steal their hunting- 
Indian Warrior. ground nor would he allow the white 
men to injure their red brothers. Mark- 
ham had already purchased a small tract of land and made 
a treaty with the Indians. The time had now come for a 
larger purchase and a better understanding between the 
savages and the white men. One of the first things Penn 
did when he was settled in his province was to call a coun- 
cil of the Indian chiefs. 




WILLIAM PENN 



149 



The Shackamaxon Treaty. — The place selected for the 
great Council was the spot where Markham had first met 
the Indians. It was on the banks of the Delaware, north 
of the then little city of Philadelphia, and below Pennsbury, 
the estate of the governor. The place was called Shack- 
amaxon, which meant the place of kings. It had been used 
for many years by the Indians as a meeting place of the 
tribes. On this field stood an aged elm tree, at least one 
hundred and fifty 
years old, a rarely 
beautiful tree, a 
king itself among 
the monarchs of 
the woods. It was 
no wonder this 
place should be 
selected for sol- 
emn council. 

William Penn 

with his followers was the first to arrive. On his right 
was Colonel Markham, in the scarlet uniform of the Brit- 
ish officer. Pearson, the man who had named Chester, 
stood on his left. Behind him were the leaders of the 
little colony, Dutch and German emigrants, Quakers in 
their plain costumes, Swedish soldiers in armor and uni- 
form. Then came the Indians. Taminent, the chief 
sachem, led the way. Behind him strode the other chiefs 
bright in their feathered head-dresses and the yellow, red 




Penn Treating with the Indians. 



150 HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 

and blue paint on their bodies. Other braves followed. 
Penn received them graciously. Many of the Indians al- 
ready knew him and there was a spirit of friendship in the 
air. Taminent then placed upon his head a chaplet or 
leather band into which was twisted a piece of horn. By 
the custom of the Lenni Lenape this made the spot sacred 
and all who were there were safe from injury. Everyone 
then sat down. After a few moments of silence Penn arose 
and made a speech to the Indians. He was still a young 
man, slender and graceful, with a frank, handsome face 
which made all who saw him like him. He was dressed in 
the best fashion of the times. His clothes w r ere rich and 
well-fitting and he wore a blue sash as the badge of his 
office. A lady who was present at the time called him 
" the handsomest, best-looking, lively gentleman ever 

seen." 

Penn's Speech. — Penn told the Indians that the Great 

Spirit who knew every secret thought that was in the heart 
of white man or red man wished them to live in peace to- 
gether. If ill were done to one, all w r ould suffer; if good 
were done to any, all would gain. Each should help the 
other in time of danger and neither should believe any evil 
of the other till it were proved true. Justice would be done 
to all who were accused of crime. Both white men and red 
men were to tell their children of the league and chain of 
friendship that it might keep clean and bright and free from 
rust while the sun and the moon and the stars endured. 
This treaty was not sworn to by solemn oaths but was 



WILLIAM PENN 



151 



simply stated in honest friendship and was kept by both 
sides for seventy years. 

The Belt of Wampum. — To seal the treaty gifts were 
made by Penn to the Indian chiefs and they in turn gave to 
Penn a belt of wampum. Wampum was regularly used by 
the Indians instead of money. Shell beads, carefully polished 
and pierced, were sewed to a backing of cloth or leather. 
These beads were of two colors, white and purple, the purple 
being the more valuable. In all cases of agreements and 
treaties pieces of wampum were used as records of the agree- 
ment. The wam- 
pum belt given to 
William Penn had 
eighteen strings of 
beads woven to- 
gether in such a 
way that in the 
centre were the figures of a man with a hat, understood to 
be Penn, and of another man, supposed to be an Indian. 
The two are grasping hands in token of friendship. This 
belt has been carefully preserved and is now in Philadelphia. 
It can be seen in the building of the Pennsylvania Historical 
Society at Thirteenth and Locust Streets. 

The Treaty Elm. — The great elm under which the treaty 
was made blew down in 1810. A piece of the tree is kept 
in a case in Independence Hall. Where it once stood at 
Beach Street and Columbia Avenue the city has made a 
pleasant park called Penn Treaty Park. On the site of the 
famous tree has been placed a monument as a reminder 




Er l . J J!!!".!' ■.■.:il|l l iti iniHlllilillil .••.:i,M......;v:r..ir. J Wit»)i»:IQ.:)o 



Penn's Belt of Wampum. 



152 HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 

of the great tree and the still greater treaty which was made 
beneath its spreading boughs. 

The Meaning of Philadelphia. — The name Philadelphia 
was chosen by William Penn even before he crossed the 
ocean on his first visit to his new r province. It is made up of 
two Greek words which together mean "Brotherly Love. ,, 
As we know, Penn was a good Greek scholar and he also 
remembered that the name occurs in the Bible as one of 
the seven cities referred to in the Book of Revelation. It was 
indeed a suitable name for the kind of city which Penn meant 
to make it. It expressed in its meaning the belief of the 
Society of Friends that all men should be brothers and should 
respect and love one another. 

The Quakers. — In the beginning most of the citizens 
of Philadelphia were Friends or Quakers as they were called. 
This name was given to them by their enemies to taunt 
them because they would not fight. Like many another 
name first given as an insult, the word Quaker brings re- 
spect wherever it is heard. The Quakers prefer to be called 
Friends but the name by which they are more generally 
known has for hundreds of years been an honorable one. 
We have already learned that they believed that every man 
should be guided bj^ his own conscience. They did not 
believe in war and refused to carry arms. This practice 
seemed to others foolhardy. That any people should settle 
in a wilderness inhabited by savages and not arm them- 
selves was hard to understand. Yet an unarmed Quaker 
was never known to be injured by the Indians of Pennsyl- 



WILLIAM PENN 



153 



vania. Indeed, Pennsylvania was more successful in her 

dealings with the Red Men than any other colony and it 

was not until the western lands began to 

be taken up by people other than the 

Quakers that any serious trouble arose. 
We have seen how the Quakers were 

persecuted because they refused to take 

an oath. It was not that they did not 

believe in the Bible, the book upon which 

the oath was taken ; or in God, in whose 

name the oath was 
made. They said a 
man's word should 
be sufficient in his 
dealings with his 
fellows. 

Their Plain 
Dress. — At first the 
Quakers were sup- 
posed to merely dress plainly without 
any special costume, but later they 
wore a dress which was almost a uni- 
form. The women wore wide plain 
skirts of gray, gray waists with white 
scarfs crossed at the neck and gray 

Fancy Dress of the Times, i , mi i 1 i 

bonnets, lne men wore knee breeches 
of plain dark material with coats and waistcoats to match 
and plain broad brimmed hats. These costumes were all 
made on much the same pattern and it was easy to tell the 





Quaker Dress. 



154 HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 

Quakers from others on the streets. In those days such 
dress was even more remarkable than it would be to-day. 
It was a time of gay colors, of silks and ribbons and velvets, 
of silver buckles and feathered hats. Men as well as women 
dressed in the gayest, brightest hues so that the plain Quaker 
garb must have been very noticeable. 

Their Plain Language. — The Quakers had also a pecu- 
liar way of speaking. Instead of saying, "you" and "yours' ' 
they would say, "thou" and "thine." This was to them a 
simpler and more friendly way of speaking and it was the 
form of speech found in the English Bible. There was a 
yet more strange custom which they had. They did not 
believe in titles of any kind. They refused to call a man 
Captain or Judge or Senator, or even "Mister," for they 
said all these were vain titles. On the contrary, they called 
everyone by their first names. Even young children would 
address old gentlemen and ladies by their first names. To 
many people this seemed disrespectful but it was not in- 
tended so. Quaker boys and girls were taught to be thought- 
ful of their elders and always to treat them with respect. 

The names of the days of the week are taken, as you 
doubtless know, from the names of old gods whom our 
heathen ancestors used to worship. The months of the 
year are also named after old Roman gods who were wor- 
shipped by the Romans hundreds of years ago. This seemed 
wrong to the Quakers. They refused to use these names. 
Instead they called Sunday, First Day; Wednesday, Fourth 
Day, and so on. The months, too, were numbered: First 



WILLIAM PENN 155 

Month, Tenth Month, and so on. This method of naming 
the days and months is used by the Society of Friends to-day 
and you will always see the date written in this way on any 
letters which they write. 

Quaker Meeting. — Instead of having churches like 
most other religions, the Quakers called their places of 
worship Meeting Houses. These were usually one-story 
buildings containing pews or chairs. There was no altar 
or chancel, often not even a platform. No regular clergyman 
took charge of the meeting. After the people had met, any 
one who felt inclined would rise and speak or pray, the 
others silently listening. The meeting would close when 
two of the older men would rise and solemnly shake hands. 
There was no musical instrument or any singing by a choir 
or by the congregation. Everything was plain and simple 
and sincere. 

The first of these meeting houses was built at Centre 
Square where High Street met Broad Street. In those days 
this Square was in the middle of a forest and far from the 
built-up portion of the city. As it was inconvenient and 
even dangerous to go there at night another meeting house 
was built on Front Street above Sassafras. This was to be 
for night meetings but it was soon found that the Centre 
Square meeting house was too far away and it had to be 
abandoned. Another meeting was established at Haverford 
beyond the Schuylkill by the Welsh Quakers who early 
moved to that region. It was not long before many others 
appeared in other parts of Penn's colony. 



156 



HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 



Troubles in England. — William Penn was not able to 
enjoy his new home very long. The Duke of York who had 
been his good friend had since become King James the 
Second. He was not a wise king and the people of England 
became very angry with him. His enemies at length raised 
an army and drove him from the country. When the news 
came to Pennsylvania that the king was in trouble Penn 
decided that he must return to England to protect the 
interests of his colony. He did so but it was almost too late. 
Because he had been a friend of King James, the new king, 
William, did not trust him. For a time his province was 
taken away from him and he was arrested for treason. 

It was not long, however, 
before he was released and 
Pennsylvania given back 
to him. 

In 1699, fifteen years 
after he had sailed away, 
William Penn returned to 
Philadelphia. By this time 
the city had grown to be a 
big town. When not living at Pennsbury, the proprietor 
used "The Slate Roof House," a fine big residence at the 
corner of Second Street and Norris Alley. This was then 
the largest house in the city and in it John Penn was born, 
the only son of William Penn to be born in America. 

The people of Pennsylvania were not as loyal to the 
Proprietor as they might have been and Penn was much 




Perm's Slate Roof House. 



WILLIAM PENN 157 

saddened because they would not grant his requests. In 
the midst of his trouble with the Assembly, Penn had to again 
return to England. His enemies at court were doing all 
in their power to rob him of his colony and he had to go 
back to defend himself. Although he did not know it, he 
was never to see Pennsylvania again. When the Indians 
heard that he was going away they came in numbers to 
bid him farewell. He had been their friend; one of the few 
white men whom they could trust. They feared he might 
never return and sadly took the gifts he gave to them. 
Long years afterward it was found that the "Good Onas" 
was still remembered with love and respect by the Indians 
of Pennsylvania. 

William Penn's Last Years. — Penn sent his oldest son 
William to take his place as governor of the colony. But 
he was not a man like his father. He drank, gambled and 
kept bad company. It was not long before he even gave 
up pretending to be a Quaker. Everyone was disgusted 
with him and after he had done all the harm he could in 
Pennsylvania he returned to England. He did not care to be 
with his father and crossing over to France he died there 
in poverty and disgrace. 

Penn's last years were sad ones. Accused of having 
debts which he did not owe, he was thrown into prison. 
His friends succeeded in having him released but his health 
had been broken. A few years later he had a stroke of 
paralysis and his mind was never again clear. He died in 
England, with his wife and daughter and two of his sons 



158 HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 

at his bedside. He had founded a great state and had un- 
selfishly given his time, his money, and his thought to its 
people. There is no man who deserves so high a place in 
the affection and respect of the people of Pennsylvania. 



THE COLONISTS AND THE INDIANS 

The relations which the colonists had with the Indians, 
sometimes friendly and sometimes hostile, form an interest- 
ing chapter in the history of each of the colonies. We have 
not time in this little book to tell each of these stories in de- 
tail, yet it is only when details are given that stories are worth 
while. We have, therefore, decided to choose but one of the 
colonies, whose experience was in many ways like that of the 
others. Pennsylvania, of whom we have already learned 
much in the story of her great founder, William Penn, shows 
in her history all the many experiences with the American 
Indian which were had by the other colonies from Maine to 
Georgia, and therefore to know how Pennsylvania dealt with 
her Indians is to have a general picture of colonial Indian 
history. 

The Lenni Lenape. — The Indians of Eastern Pennsyl- 
vania belonged to the great Algonquin family whom Cham- 
plain befriended when he first explored the St. Lawrence 
River. They were called Delawares by the white men, but 
they called themselves Lenni Lenape, which meant "true 
men." At one time they had been the foremost tribe among 



THE COLONISTS AND THE INDIANS 



159 



the Algonquins and had been called "grandfather" by the 
others. But some time before the coming of Penn the 

powerful Iroquois, always the 
enemy of the Algonquins, had 
forced them to obey their com- 
mands. 

The Delawares were di- 
vided into three groups each 
with a different totem or sacred 
symbol. The first were the 
Minsi who had a wolf for their 
totem. These Indians lived 
in eastern New York and had 
little if anything to do with 
Pennsylvania. The second di- 
vision had a turtle as their to- 
tem and lived along the Del- 
aware river where it flows 
through Pennsylvania. They were called Unami, and it 
was with these Red Men that William Penn had most of 
his dealings. The last group were the Unalachto and lived 
on the Delaware below the Unami. Their totem was a 
turkey. 

The Delaware Indians were more advanced than their 
neighbors. Their huts were round and roofed with mats 
of woven maize leaves or flags. Each family had a separate 
hut and a piece of ground on which to raise corn. They 
made pots and jars of clay and wove belts and ornaments 




War Clubs and Scalping Knives. 



160 



HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 




Tomahawk and Moccasins. 



of beads. They were also skilled in dressing skins and in 
making feather mantels for their chiefs and leading men. 
The warriors fought with war clubs, tomahawks, bows and 
arrows, and spears. When a member of the tribe died he 
was always buried in a sitting 
position facing the rising sun. 
These Indians had special burial 
grounds. One of these was un- 
covered some years ago on the 
Neversink River in New Jersey. 
Buying Land. — The idea 
of owning land was a white 
man's notion and was at first 
scarcely understood by the Indians. They lived chiefly 
by hunting and fishing and had to keep moving from 
place to place as the game fled from their arrows, their 
traps and their fishing lines. Therefore they had no cities 
but lived in tents or huts which were easily moved or 
replaced. When Penn wished to buy land from them they 
did not realize that he and his people would build per- 
manent cities and would drive the deer and the wild tur- 
keys forever from the places where they settled. They did 
not realize either that there were going to be more white 
people and that they would want more and more land. 
Because they did not realize these things they were willing 
to let the white men use their land and were glad to receive 
in return for this favor glass beads, cloth, knives and other 
things which seemed to them very fine. 



THE COLONISTS AND THE INDIANS 



161 



The Beginning of Trouble. — For a while everything 
went well. Penn was very careful not to offend the natives. 

They knew he was an honest 
man and they respected him. 
From time to time he bought 
more land from them. Each 
time an agreement was drawn 
up in writing, and gifts were 
made to the Indians. They 
were apparently satisfied. But 
as we have learned, William 
Penn returned to England and 
there died. In his place came 
his sons to take charge of Penn- 
sylvania. First William came 
and then John and Thomas. 
These men were not like their 
father. John and Thomas 
were much better than Wil- 

Indian War Bonnet, Shield, Bow and li ani) but all Were chiefly inter- 
ested in their own fortunes. 
Penn's wisdom in his treatment of the Indians was bear- 
ing fruit and Pennsylvania was long free from the Indian 
warfare which disturbed the other colonies. But many 
people of all kinds were coming to the prosperous little 
colony. Some of those who settled on the frontiers cared 
little for the rights of the Red Men. They settled on their 
lands and killed those who dared to interfere. Whenever 




162 HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 

more land was needed Perm's sons were careful to buy it 
from the Indians, but they were not always fair to them. 
They would sometimes deceive them about the amount of 
land and at other times they would obtain deeds of sale 
when the Indians were drunk and did not know what they 
were doing. This was of course very wrong, yet the white 
people were coming so fast that they would often settle on 
land that had not been bought and where they had no right 
to be. 

The Walking Purchase. — There was one very famous 
purchase of land which you should know about because it 
later led to the first Indian warfare in Pennsylvania that 
broke the long period of peace and prosperity which they 
had enjoyed. It was called the " Walking Purchase." It 
seems that the proprietors, John and Thomas Penn, had 
called the Indian chiefs together to buy from them another 
piece of land to the north of Philadelphia. The amount 
of land was to be measured by the distance "a man could 
walk in a day and a half. ' ' Just how the walk should be made 
and in just what direction was not clear. Certainly the 
Indians did not understand it as the white men did. Some 
time before the real walk the proprietors had sent men to 
take a trial walk to see just what direction was the best to 
go the farthest distance. The Indians knew nothing of this 
trial walk. 

When the time came three Indians and three white men 
started from Wrightstown, in Bucks County, now marked 
by a stone near Wrightstown meeting house. The white 



THE COLONISTS AND THE INDIANS 163 

men were trained athletes. Other men on horseback fol- 
lowed behind them with food and provisions. Scarcely 
any stops were made to rest. Part of the time, instead 
of walking, the white men ran. Then, too, they did not 
keep to the river bank, which is the usual way of going 
into a new country, but traveled by aid of a compass in 
the straightest possible line. All this the Indians said was 
unfair, and they became very much disgusted before the 
walk was finished. When it was over it was found that 
the walkers had travelled over sixty miles and had secured 
three times as much land as the Indians had intended to 
sell. Nothing much was said at the time but the Indians 
did not forget. Though Penn had made such firm friends 
of the Indians that it was twenty years before serious trouble 
broke out, yet they refused to leave the lands included in 
the walking purchase. 

The Appeal to the Iroquois. — There seemed to be only 
two ways of making them go. One was to organize an army 
and drive them out. The other was to have the Iroquois 
Indians, who claimed to be the conquerors of the Delawares, 
make them go. This second plan seemed the easier. The 
chiefs of the Iroquois were invited to a conference at Phila- 
delphia in 1742. They were given rich presents, and at 
last promised to drive the Delawares away. The chiefs of 
the Delawares were told that they were "women," that 
they had no right to sell the land in the first place as it 
belonged to the Iroquois. They were then ordered to go. 
They were given, by the Iroquois, a large tract of land in the 



164 



HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 



Wyoming valley, along the upper Susquehanna. They 
went, but there was hatred in their hearts for the Proprietors 
who had called on their enemies to drive them from their 
hunting grounds. They patiently waited for their revenge. 

Teedyuscung. — Meanwhile the white settlers began to 
push west into the Indian lands until they finally invaded 
the Wyoming valley, this new home of the Delawares. 
This made the Indians very angry. Their chief, Teedyus- 
cung, was a very 
able man. He 
made up his 
mind that the 
whites must be 
driven out of all 
the land which 
the Indians 
claimed. To 
carry out his 
plan it was nec- 
essary to get the 
help of other In- 
dian tribes. Quietly he succeeded in binding the neighbor- 
ing tribes together in a league to kill the white people. All 
the branches of the Lenni Lenape united and elected Teedy- 
uscung head chief over all. The Shawnees and Mohicans 
joined and also accepted Teedyuscung as their leader. 

The Indian Massacres. — When all was ready the Indians 
began to move eastward. It was October and the brown 
leaves stirred under the tread of hundreds of moccasins 




Attack on a Block 
House. 



THE COLONISTS AND THE INDIANS 



165 



as the Red Men gathered for their deadly work. Suddenly 
all along the Blue Ridge defenceless settlers were attacked. 
Men working in the fields were tomahawked; women killed 
and scalped in their cabins; children murdered or carried 
away from their play as captives. Homes and barns were 
set afire; fields of grain destroyed; cattle and horses killed 
or driven away. The attacks were usually made at night 
and they were swift and fierce. Help, hard to get and far 
away, seldom arrived in time. The poor 
terror stricken settlers fled back to the larger 
settlements of the east. Teedyuscung re- 
membered the wrongs done his people, and 
in the land of the Walking Purchase the set- 
tlers suffered the most. 

The leaders of the people saw that some- 
thing had to be done. A regiment of soldiers 
was hastily raised, and Benjamin Franklin 
was made its colonel. They marched to the 
frontier and built a fort at a place where 
ten men had been murdered by the In- 
dians. Another regiment of soldiers was 
raised by Conrad Weiser, a Pennsylvania German. This 
man had learned the Indian language by living among 
them for many years, and had often acted as interpreter 
between the whites and the Red Men. After the death of 
William Penn, Weiser had probably done more than any 
other person to keep the friendship of the Indians. He had 
more than once complained of the white frontiersmen who 
had stolen the lands of the Indians. He succeeded in keeping 




A Colonel of Militia. 



166 HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 

many of the Indians from joining Teedyuscung and later 
was helpful in making peace with that chief. But he now 
felt that the Indians could only be stopped by force. While 
Franklin undertook to defend the Lehigh valley, Weiser 
took his men farther westward between the Susquehanna 
and the Schuylkill. 

Teedyuscung Appeals to the King. — The Quakers de- 
cided to try another way. They had always been opposed 
to taking the Indian lands, and, indeed, they had not suffered 
at the hands of the Red Men. But, as we have already 
learned, there were many other people in Pennsylvania 
besides the Quakers. These other people carried rifles and 
believed in fighting for what they wanted. It was they who 
caused most of the trouble. The Quakers now formed a 
"Friendly Association," as they called it, and sought to have 
the Indians meet them in a conference. With the help of 
Sir William Johnson, a great friend of the Indians, they 
succeeded in getting Teedyuscung to come to a meeting at 
Easton. There the Indian chief made a speech in which 
he accused the white men of fraud. He said the walking 
purchase was unfairly made. He pointed out that the 
Indians had repeatedly been given lands of their own and 
then had been asked to give them up. When the Iroquois 
chiefs tried to force Teedyuscung to make peace he replied, 
"We are men and warriors. We will acknowledge no supe- 
riors upon earth." These were brave words, and the Iroquois 
were afraid of the many tribes who accepted Teedyuscung 
as their leader. So the meeting broke up to meet again a 
year later and meanwhile there was to be a truce. 



THE COLONISTS AND THE INDIANS 167 

When the next year came Teedyuscung made the same 
complaints. His terms were very reasonable. He wished 
a fair payment for the lands taken by the white men. He 
also said the Indians must have a place to call their own in 
which the white men would never settle. He insisted that 
the King of England should hear his case and decide it. 
All the papers of the meeting, the treaties and deeds of sale, 
were sent to the king. The case was so clear, and Teedyus- 
cung's demands were so reasonable, that the king decided 
everything in his favor. He had won a great victory for his 
people. 

Two Wrongs Do Not Make a Right. — The success of 
Teedyuscung was not pleasing to some of the Iroquois who 
were his enemies. Going to the Wyoming valley, where 
he had again settled with his people, they treacherously 
set fire to the chief's hut, burning him to death. They then 
told his followers that he had been killed by the whites. 
The Indians were furious. Seizing their tomahawks they 
fell upon the innocent whites and massacred about thirty 
of them, burning their homes and driving away their cat- 
tle. The governor of Pennsylvania sent soldiers to the place, 
but they arrived too late. The Indians had gone. It was 
now the white man's turn to become mad with anger. A 
band of whites, unable to find the guilty Indians, determined 
to wreak vengeance upon some innocent and harmless In- 
dians who had had nothing to do with the matter. Falling 
upon them unawares they killed all upon whom they could 
lay their hands. Some, however, escaped and were lodged 
for protection in the jail at Lancaster. There the blood- 



168 HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 

maddened men followed them, and dragging them out 
murdered them in cold blood. It was horrible and some- 
thing for which the white people of Pennsylvania have 
reason to be greatly ashamed. Gradually the Indians 
moved westward across the mountains. They saw that the 
white men had come to stay and that they could not hold 
the ground against them. Slowly and sadly the Dela- 
wares moved to new hunting grounds and Pennsylvania 
knew them no more. 



JAMES OGLETHORPE 

THE DEBTORS' FRIEND 

The Son of a Soldier. — Many years after John Smith had 
died there came to America an- 
other soldier colonist who was 
as unselfish and noble minded 
as was Captain Smith. His 
name was James Edward Ogle- 
thorpe. Even when he was 
a very small boy he knew of 
the army and had seen many 
English soldiers. His father 
was a general in the service of 
the king, and wore the bright 
scarlet uniform of the English 
Army. This delighted the boy 
and made him long for the time 
when he too might wear an 
officer's coat and drill his troops 
as he often saw his father do. 
Indeed, it was not long before 
his wish was gratified, as it was 
the custom to allow boys whose 
fathers were men of importance 
to become officers in the army 
at a very early age. James was only fourteen when he was 
made an ensign in the British Army. 

169 




James Oglethorpe, ensign in English 
Army at fourteen. 



170 



HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 



Just about this time England went to war with several 
countries over the question of who should be the king of 
Spain. It seems a very silly thing to fight a war about, but 
it gave young Ensign Oglethorpe an opportunity to show 

that he Avas a brave young 
man. When the war was over 
he returned to England and 
some years later was elected 
to Parliament, a body of men 
who act for England much 
as our Congress at Wash- 
ington does for us. He was 
still a very young man, but 
he had traveled much and 
had learned to meet danger 
bravely, so that the people 
chose him to represent them 
in the great Parliament at 
London. 

Oglethorpe Learns of the 
Debtors' Prisons. — While he 
was a member of Parliament 
James Oglethorpe had a very 
sad experience. A dear friend 
of his died in a London prison 
where he had been put be- 




A debtor in prison. 



cause he was not able to pay his debts. When Oglethorpe 
learned how his friend had died he became very angry and 
had himself made the head of a committee to investigate 
these "debtors' prisons." 



JAMES OGLETHORPE 171 

He found that they were even worse than he feared. 
Men who owed money, often very small debts, were thrown 
into prison until they paid what they owed. Of course, as 
long as they stayed in prison they could earn no money with 
which to pay the debt and so they had to stay in prison. 
Unless they happened to have rich friends who would help 
them they died in jail. But this was not the worst of it., It 
seemed that the jailers were accustomed to make their 
prisoners pay for their food and even for their bedding. 
If they were not able to pay, as happened in many cases, 
they were allowed to starve and were forced to sleep on the 
floor. Some of the jailors were very cruel men and tortured 
the poor prisoners who were unable to pay for what they 
needed. Because they did not have enough fresh air and 
exercise they frequently contracted a terrible disease called 
"jail fever." This was so contagious that the judges and 
other court officers sometimes caught it in the court rooms 
and themselves died. 

You can easily see how dreadful were the conditions in 
these prisons and how necessary it was that someone like 
James Oglethorpe should tell the English people about all 
this wickedness. He was not afraid to say what he thought, 
and as a result the condition of the poor prisoners was much 
improved. However, it was many years after Oglethorpe's 
time before laws were passed that made it impossible to put a 
man in prison because he could not pay his debts. Even up 
to the time of the Revolutionary War we had prisoners for 
debt in this country. 

He Founds a Colony for Released Debtors. — Oglethorpe 



172 HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 

was not satisfied with what he had done for the poor debtors, 
but determined to do even more. Together with a group of 
kind men like himself he secured from the king the grant of a 
large tract of land south of the Carolinas, where the state 
of Georgia now is. Here he determined to establish a 
home for poor debtors where they might begin their lives 
over again free from the fear of the debtors' prisons. The 
king was the more willing to grant this land because it 
bordered on the land which the Spaniards held. It would 
therefore act as a shield for the other colonies against the 
attacks of the Spaniards. Parliament gave £10,000 or 
$50,000 and Oglethorpe and his friends also gave money. 
They adopted as the motto for the new colony four Latin 
words which meant "Not for ourselves, but for others." 

He Makes Friends with the Indians. — In November, 
1732 they set sail ; and in the following May they founded 
the city of Savannah on the river to which they gave the 
same name. They chose as a site for the city a high bluff 
overlooking the river and which was called, after the Indians 
who lived near there, Yamacraw Bluff. The chief of these 
Indians was called Tomochichi, and one of the wisest of the 
many wise things which Oglethorpe did was to make a firm 
friend of this Indian chief. On one occasion when Ogle- 
thorpe was going back to England he took Tomochichi with 
him, and the Indian was treated so well by the people in 
London that he became an even better friend of the white 
men than he had been before. Through Tomochichi's 
help a council of all the chiefs of the Indian tribes in that 
country was called. Oglethorpe bought the land of them 



JAMES OGLETHORPE 173 

and made a solemn treaty with them which was kept faith- 
fully by both sides, so that Georgia, as the colony was 
called after King George of England, enjoyed more peace 
with the Indians than any other colony except Pennsyl- 
vania. 

A Successful Colony. — There were several other fine 
things about Oglethorpe's colony. One was that slavery was 
prohibited. Slavery had already been introduced into the 
Carolinas just north of Georgia. I am sorry to say that 
many years later it was allowed in Georgia too, but that was 
long after the time of James Oglethorpe. We can be very 
sure he would not have approved of any such action. An- 
other fine thing was the religious freedom which was to be 
allowed to the colonists. People had not yet learned to let 
others worship God as they pleased ; there was still much per- 
secution of one sect by another. Unfortunately, Roman 
Catholics were not allowed in Georgia, but all other people 
might come and worship as they pleased. Not long after 
the founding of Savannah a band of Lutherans from the 
city of Salzburg fled from their persecutors to the new 
colony of Georgia, while about the same time there came 
other people from central Europe, called Moravians. 

War with the Spaniards. — The colony prospered, but 
it was not long before the Georgians had to fight with the 
Spaniards to the south of them. Led by General Ogle- 
thorpe, for he had now become a general, they crossed into 
the Spanish territory and attacked the city of St. Augustine. 
It was well defended, however, and the English were forced 
to give up the attempt. A little later the Spaniards re- 



174 HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 

ft 

turned the attack, but were badly defeated by General 
Oglethorpe and his followers. 

A Friend to the Oppressed. — After spending nine years 
in the colony Oglethorpe returned to England. There he 
fought in several battles and was for a time accused of trea- 
son, which is the crime of being untrue to your own country. 
This charge was not proved against him and after being 
arrested he was set free, and lived to a ripe old age, honored 
by all who knew him. We in America may well remember 
the founder of Georgia as a brave soldier and a true gentle- 
man who was through all his life a friend to the oppressed. 



GEORGE WASHINGTON 



THE FATHER OF OUR COUNTRY 

A Virginia Plantation. — When George Washington was 
a small boy he lived in a big, old fashioned house in front 
of which a meadow sloped gently down to a lazy river. 
Back of the house on both sides as far as he could see the 
land belonged to his father, Mr. 
Augustine Washington. Tobacco 
grew on this land and potatoes and 
corn. There were horses and cows 
in the pastures and pigs in the pens 
by the barn. To care for the to- 
bacco, the fields and the cattle, and 
to do all the work that had to be 
done on such a big place, were col- 
ored people . They were slaves ; that 
is, they belonged to Mr. Washing- 
ton and he could sell them if he 
chose. But he was kind to his 
slaves and they were glad to work 
for him. There were other men, 
though, who were cruel, and whose slaves were very un- 
happy. 

The Homestead. — The house, itself, had a broad porch 
or veranda whose roof was supported by big white coi- 
ns 




George Washington. 



176 HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 

umns. Inside were large cool rooms and deep fire-places 
where roaring fires of hickory logs were kept burning on 
cold winter days. The dining room had a big table and 
many chairs for the many people who sat down to each 
meal. George had seven brothers and sisters and Mr. and 
Mrs. Washington usually had a guest or two visiting them, 
so it took plenty of space and lots of food to feed so large 
a family. 

How much there was for a boy to do on a farm like this! 
All through the long summer days George would wander 
in the meadows and play Indians in the woods. He would 
hide behind the trees and imagine every breaking twig was 
a red-skinned warrior seeking his life. Then he would 
watch the slaves as they sowed the corn or picked the 
leaves of the tobacco plants and hung them in long rows to 
dry. Every day he learned something more about the 
woods or the farm and all this knowledge became very 
useful to him when he grew to be a man. 

A Fire. — One day the -house caught fire. All was ex- 
citement; slaves running back and forth; George's older 
brothers helping their father put out the flames. Some 
brought water to be poured on the fire, while others carried 
furniture and valuable things from the burning building to 
places of safety. But all their efforts were in vain. They 
had no water mains or fire engines as we have today and the 
house burned down to the ground. Mr. Washington for- 
tunately owned a number of estates and the family moved 
to a new home on the Rappahannock river, thirty-five 
miles away. This was a two-story house like the others 



GEORGE WASHINGTON 



177 



and was -painted red. It was from here that George first 
went to school. 

George Goes to School. — In those days it was thought 
that any one was good enough to teach little children. 
Mr. Washington on one of his voyages to England brought 
back a convict who became the sexton of the church and 
also the schoolmaster 
for the children of the 
neighborhood. He was 
a short man with only 
one eye. The children 
called him "Hobby" 
and were not very re- 
spectful to him. In- 
deed, he taught them 
very little for he knew 
very little himself. As 
the school was two 
miles away George 
rode there each day on 
horseback, in front of 
a slave named Peter. 

A Sad Loss. — It was not Mr. Washington's intention to 
keep George long at this school. He probably would have 
sent him to England to school as he did his older sons, 
Lawrence and Augustine, but when George was twelve 
years old his father died. This made a great change in the 
plans for George. His mother was either unwilling or un- 
able to send him abroad to school. Lawrence now became 




The Fire. 



178 



HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 



the head of the family and secured most of his father's 
property, but Mrs. Washington was given a large estate 
on which she lived with George and her other children. 

Perhaps it was this early responsibility that made 
George such a grave and serious boy. Whatever it was 
we find him acting as though he were much older than he 
really was. 

The Rules of Conduct. — One day he found a book that 
was full of very useful information. It told how to write a 

letter, how to tell 



whether or not rain 
was coming, what 
was the best way 
to build a barn, 
and lots of other 
interesting things. 
In the back it gave 
a list of rules for 
the conduct of a 




Fox Hunting in Virginia. 



gentleman; how he should behave at the table, what he 
should do and say in company, and many other things that 
George felt were important. These rules he carefully 
copied down and we have them today in his boyish hand- 
writing to show how hard he tried to learn things that 
would be to his advantage. 

George Wants to Go to Sea. — Like many boys in those 
days George was very anxious to go to sea. He had often 
seen his father's ships lying at the wharves taking on car- 
goes of tobacco and had talked with the officers and crews 



GEORGE WASHINGTON 



179 



about their life at sea. His mother did not wish George 
to go as she feared the danger in which he would be placed. 
She wrote of the matter to her brother, a London lawyer, 
asking his advice. He wisely advised against it. He said 
the pay was poor and the chances of advancement slight, 
while the dangers were many and great. Today we are 
very glad that George Washington had so wise an uncle 
and that he was saved to be of such splendid service to his 
country. 

Learning Surveying. — George was now a strong sturdy 
boy and he determined to learn surveying, which is the 
science of accurately meas- 
uring land. There was much 
need for those skilled in this 
knowledge for the farms and 
estates were large and their 
boundaries indefinite. 

There was a good school 
on Bridges Creek near the Po- 
tomac where George's brother 
Augustine now lived with his 
family. The teacher, Mr. 
Williams, knew mathematics, which was very necessary in 
the study of surveying. George was therefore sent to live 
with his brother while he attended this school. Meanwhile, 
in the evenings he had the advantage of being with his 
brother who was an educated man and frequently enter- 
tained guests who, like himself, were used to the ways of 
the world. From these men Washington learned much 




Washington Surveying. 



180 HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 

that was useful. While at school he steadily gained the 
knowledge that was to make him a successful surveyor. 

A Great Opportunity. — It was not long before he had 
an opportunity to show his skill. Lord Fairfax, a great 
English nobleman, had inherited a large estate in Virginia. 
His handsome house and grounds called Belvoir were not 
far from Mount Vernon, the estate which Lawrence Wash- 
ington had inherited from his father. The two families at 
Belvoir and Mount Vernon became intimate. Lawrence 
fell in love with Anne, Lord Fairfax's daughter, and they 
were soon married. George was a frequent visitor at 
his brother's home and he too was well known at Belvoir. 
Lord Fairfax took a great fancy to the strong, quiet boy of 
fifteen and they often went hunting together. This friend- 
ship grew so strong that Lord Fairfax determined to entrust 
the surveying of his vast lands to young Washington. 

The Young Surveyor. — George gladly accepted the 
task. The estate was very large and extended far into the 
forests of western Virginia. For weeks Washington never 
saw a white man except his companions in this work. They 
travelled through trackless woods and climbed mountains 
carrying their instruments with them and camping at 
night under the stars. 

One night, indeed, they did seek shelter in the rough 
cabin of a Dutch mountaineer. The cabin itself was filled 
with smoke and bad smells. They had the choice of lying 
on a bundle of very dirty straw or sharing a skin on which 
the man of the cabin, his wife and his dirty children had 
already lain down. After this Washington was glad to 



GEORGE WASHINGTON 



181 




The Mountain Cabin. 



sleep in the fresh open air wrapped only in his blankets 
with the leafy trees over head for a covering. 

At last the work was finished and so well had it been 
done that Lord Fairfax highly praised young Washington. 
George was very proud of his 
first big job. 

Lord Fairfax was well edu- 
cated and an accomplished gen- 
tleman. From him George learn- 
ed many of the graces of speech 
and manner that made him the 
cultured man he later became. 
Besides these polite customs 
we know he also learned the hard life of the forests and 
stream. He there gained the courage and endurance which 
were also to serve him so well in his later fife. 

A Public Position.— Washington now decided he would 
like to be the public surveyor. This was an office of much 
responsibility. Washington, only 16 years of age, was very 
young to seek such a place, but his work for Lord Fairfax 
had been so well done and was so well known that he 
secured the position. This gave him a great deal of work to 
do and he was very busy managing his mother's estate 
and his public duties as well. 

Lawrence Washington Dies. — About this time, how- 
ever, George's oldest brother was taken sick and the 
physicians advised a sea voyage. Someone must go with 
the sick man and as Lawrence was very fond of his brother 
George, it was arranged that he should go. They sailed to 



182 



HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 



the Bermuda Islands and stayed there some time. But 
Lawrence was not benefited by the trip and George brought 
him back to die. 

Mount Vernon. — In his will it was found he had left 
most of his property to his brother George. Among much 
else was the fine place which Lawrence had named Mount 
Vernon after a dear friend of his, Admiral Vernon, of the 
British Navy. This was where the fire had occurred 




Mount Vernon. 



when George was a small boy. Lawrence had rebuilt the 
house and improved the grounds. George now made 
Mount Vernon his home and it continued to be so until 
his death. Today this beautiful homestead with the stately 
house and handsome grounds belongs to the government 
of the United States which George Washington was chiefly 
responsible for founding. 

A Militia Officer. — Before his death Lawrence had 
secured for his brother George a commission as major in 



GEORGE WASHINGTON 183 

the Virginia militia. Just as each state now has its national 
guard whom we so often see on the streets and at their 
armories, so did the colonies have their soldiers. George 
was very young to hold so high a rank, but he was soon 
able to prove that his appointment had been no mistake. 

Governor Dinwiddie's Messenger. — The French and 
their Indian allies had been making trouble on land which 
Virginia said belonged to her. Governor Dinwiddie de- 
cided to send someone to warn them to keep off. It was 
a task full of danger, requiring a man of courage and also 
one who would not needlessly offend the French officers. 
Fairfax suggested young Major Washington and the gov- 
ernor accordingly chose George as his messenger. 

Through miles of forests, over swollen streams, making 
friends with the Indians as they went, the little party 
finally reached the French post and gave Governor Din- 
widdie's letter to the French commander. 

The Return. — On the way back, Washington and 
Christopher Gish, a bold Virginian frontiersman, left their 
horses and traveled on foot. The French Indians lay in 
wait for them and tried to murder them. In the fight 
which followed they captured one of the Indians and put 
the rest to flight. Gish wanted to kill their prisoner, 
but Washington would not allow it and later let him 
escape. 

At another time, in crossing, on a raft, a stream filled 
with floating ice, Washington fell into the water. With 
much difficulty both men got to land where they had to 
remain all night with their clothes frozen on them. It was 



184 



HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 



well for them that each was accustomed to all kinds of 
hardship and exposure. 

Preparations for War. — When Washington returned to 
Governor Dinwiddie and reported the result of his journey 
the governor saw that it meant war with the French and 
their Indian allies. Washington was made lieutenant- 
colonel of the Virginia militia. Soon afterward his regi- 
ment was sent west to hold the forks of the Ohio where the 
city of Pittsburgh now stands. There was much trouble in 
raising the necessary number of men, as the farmers did 
not wish to leave their farms. At last, however, the troops 
were ready and began the long, dangerous journey. On 

the way Colonel Frey, the 
commander of the regi- 
ment, died and Washington 
became the leader of the ex- 
pedition. 

Great Meadows. — It was 
not long before he learned 
that a force of French and 
Indians had captured the 
English post on the Ohio. 
Although they had over a 
thousand men and Wash- 
ington scarcely two hun- 
dred, he pushed forward to meet them. On the Mononga- 
hela river not far from the Ohio an open space called the 
Great Meadows seemed to Washington a good spot to build 
a fort. A rude log and earth stockade was hastily thrown 




Washington as an Officer. 



GEORGE WASHINGTON 185 

up which Washington called Fort Necessity. Soon news 
was received that the French were encamped a short dis- 
tance away. Advancing with the greatest caution Wash- 
ington and his men surprised the French and forced them 
to surrender. In the battle ten Frenchmen were killed in- 
cluding the brave commander, Jumonville. This was not 
the main body of the French troops and Washington was 
soon forced to take refuge in his little fort by the approach 
of the larger French army. 

Fort Necessity. — It would have been wiser had he 
retreated until Virginia sent him more soldiers, but he was 
young and brave. He preferred to fight rather than rim 
away. The French attacked the fort and the English 
fought bravely, but when night put an end to the fighting 
Washington saw that he could not hold out. The French 
had three men to his one. The Virginia troops were ex- 
hausted. They were hungry and discouraged, and their 
rifles, wet from the rain, would not fire. 

In the morning Washington surrendered. The French 
allowed him and his soldiers to keep their guns and to 
return home, making them promise they would not fight 
against the French for a year. This promise was kept and 
they returned to Virginia. 

Washington Resigns His Commission. — Washington 
was hailed as a hero for his gallant conduct and prepara- 
tions were at once begun to win and hold the Ohio valley 
for the English. England herself now took a hand and 
sent officers and men to help the colonies. But they did a 
very unfair thing. It was decided that all the king's offi- 



186 HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 

cers, even their lieutenants, should "outrank," that is, rank 
higher, than any of the colonial officers. This angered Wash- 
ington who was now a colonel and he resigned his commis- 
sion in the Virginia militia and returned to his estates at 
Mount Vernon where he spent a year as a private citizen. 
Once More a Soldier. — At last there appeared in Vir- 
ginia an English army with General Braddock at its head. 
They camped near Mount Vernon and Washington would 
often ride to the camp and watch the red-coated soldiers 

drilling. He longed to be 
again an officer and lead his 
troops to battle. He several 
times mentioned his wish to 
his friends. One of them took 
the news to General Braddock 
and he at once offered Wash- 
ington a position on his staff 
with the rank of colonel. He 
had heard much of young 

Soldiers of the Expedition. < ^ 

Washington's dashing bravery 
as well as of his wide knowledge of the land through which 
the march must be made and was only too glad to have him 
as one of his officers. Washington was delighted and imme- 
diately accepted the general's appointment. He was again 
a soldier. Much time had yet to be spent in getting recruits 
and in securing wagons and stores for the long march. 

The Expedition Against Fort Duquesne. — At last every- 
thing was ready and the journey began. Braddock kept 
his men in close order and the progress was very slow. 




GEORGE WASHINGTON 



187 



Washington suggested a different arrangement. Part of 
the army was to remain with the baggage wagons while 
the rest, in light marching order, pushed on ahead. This 
seemed a good plan to General Braddock and after that 
the troops moved much faster. 

Washington Taken Sick. — Washington, however, was 
taken sick; so sick that he had to be left behind. He asked 
the general not to have a battle until he could be with the 
army. This the general promised and George remained 
with Colonel Dunbar. He wrote to a friend at this time 
that he would not miss 
the battle for five hun- 
dred pounds. 

When still too sick 
to ride his horse Wash- 
ington insisted on being 
taken to the front in a 
carriage. In this way 
he joined General Brad- 
Clock Braddock Mortally Wounded. 

The Battle. — The battle had not yet been fought, but It 
was not long before the French appeared with their Indian 
allies. The English regulars were drawn up in line. They 
made a brave show with their red coats and flashing bayo- 
nets and Washington's heart beat faster as he thought of 
the fighting soon to take place. With drums beating the 
English marched forward, shoulder to shoulder and in per- 
fect step. 

An Invisible Enemy. — Suddenly a volley of musket 




188 HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 

balls struck them. The enemy were completely hidden by 
the trees and rocks from behind which they had fired. 
The English were not used to this kind of fighting. There 
was no one at whom they could shoot. Urged by their 
officers they continued to advance only to be met again 
by that murderous fire from unseen guns. 

Braddock Refuses a Suggestion. — Washington, who 
had closely watched the English soldiers, saw that they 
would be defeated unless they found cover. He begged 
Braddock to give the order, but the general was obstinate. 
He had fought in many battles and had always kept his 
men in close ranks. He refused to change his plans. 

A Panic. — Meanwhile the poor soldiers were being shot 
down without a chance to reply. After several volleys from 
the French they turned and fled. General Braddock was 
mortally wounded and the command fell to Washington. 
He rode up and down the fine utterly careless of the flying 
bullets, trying to bring order back to the panic stricken 
troops. 

The Virginians Cover the Retreat. — The Virginians who 
had accompanied the expedition wisely had fired from 
behind the trees. Under Washington's leadership they were 
able to hold back the French while the regulars retreated. 
The French showed no desire to follow up their victory and 
so those of the English who had not fallen on the field were 
able to reach Virginia in safety. General Braddock died on 
the march back and Washington read the burial service at 
his grave. 

It was due alone to the skill and courage of Washington 



GEORGE WASHINGTON 189 

that any of the army which had marched so bravely away 
some months before reached home again. 

A Splendid Reputation. — The people of Virginia had 
learned two things. First, that the British regulars of 
whom Braddock had boasted so vainly were only men after 
all and could be beaten if you went about it in the right 
way. Second, that George Washington had proved him- 
self a better soldier than a trained English general. It 
was not to be many years before this young Virginia colonel 
was to become one of the greatest military leaders the world 
has ever known. 

We have seen how this young man developed a char- 
acter which not only earned him many friends but also 
saved him in many times of danger. Later we will tell the 
rest of the story of his life, how he saved the United States 
and became our first president. 



BENJAMIN FRANKLIN 



THE MANY SIDED CITIZEN 

A Large Family. — How would you like to be the young- 
est boy in a family of thirteen children? Perhaps you are. 

If so you know pretty 
well the kind of fam- 
ily in which Benja- 
min Franklin lived 
as a little boy. His 
father had once lived 
in England, but be- 
cause of his religious 
opinions he had come 
to America way back 
in 1682, about the 
time that Philadel- 
phia was founded by 
William Penn. Mr. 
Franklin did not 
come to Philadelphia 
but went to Boston 
which had already 
been settled many 
years and whose people worshipped God about as he wished 
to. As he was not a wealthy man he had to work very hard 

190 




Franklin — from an Aquatint by F. Janinet. 



BENJAMIN FRANKLIN 191 

to support his large family. In England he had been a dyer 
of cloth which was a regular trade requiring skill and expe- 
rience, but in America he found there was very little need for 
such work. Most of the cloth was brought from Europe and 
was already dyed. He had, therefore, to find another trade. 
He selected that of tallow chandling which simply means 
making candles. The hot tallow was poured into metal 
moulds into which the wicks had already been placed. By 
this work Benjamin's father was able to keep his family 
comfortably. 

At School. — When Benjamin Franklin was eight years 
old he was sent to the grammar school. This meant, not 
what it means today, but a school where boys went who 
were to go to college and be learned men. The plan was 
to make Benjamin a clergyman. He had always been fond 
of study and had learned to read at a very early age. He 
said at a later time when he was a grown man that he was 
unable to remember a time when he could not read. His 
uncle, Benjamin, after whom he had been named and 
who was himself an educated man, advised that little 
Benjamin be trained for the ministry. When Benjamin 
started at school he was placed in the middle of his class. 
In a very little while, however, he went to the head of the 
class and a month or so later was promoted to the next 
higher class with the understanding that he would go to 
the third class at the end of the year. You can see from 
this how bright he was. But his father was unable to bear 
the expense of such a school and at the end of the year Benja- 
min had to go to the common school for the poorer children. 



192 



HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 



Selecting a Trade. — When he was ten years old Benja- 
min was taken home to help his father make candles. He 
was not interested in this work, but, like so many boys 

who live in sea-port towns, he 
wanted with all his heart to go 
to sea. He had learned to 
swim quite well and was never 
happier than Avhen in a boat 
or canoe with his playmates. 
His father, however, was very 
much opposed to this idea. 
Josiah, an older brother of 
Benjamin's, had run away to 
sea and Mr. Franklin was de- 
termined that no more of his 
sons should do so. Accord- 
ingly Benjamin was now sent 
to work for his cousin Samuel 
who was a cutler — that is, he 
made all kinds of knives. But 
Samuel Franklin demanded 
too much money for teaching 
the boy this trade and so Ben- 
jamin once more returned 
home. All his family, of 
course, knew how fond he 
was of books. One of his brothers, James, was a printer. 
It was thought that Benjamin would like this trade. At 
last they were right. So well did Benjamin take to this 




Franklin a? a Printer. 



BENJAMIN FRANKLIN 193 

new work that he remained a printer for many years of 
his life. 

An Apprentice. — He was now made an apprentice to 
his brother. That meant that he signed a paper promis- 
ing to work for his brother for a certain number of years 
in return for which he was to receive his food and lodging 
and to learn the business of printing. We do not have 
many apprentices now. Instead, we have trade schools 
and vocational schools where boys are taught to use tools 
and to do certain kinds of work so that when they 
are employed they do not have everything to learn. 
But there were no such schools then and all tradesmen had 
first to be apprentices. When Benjamin Franklin died he 
left a large sum of money to the city of Boston and another 
large sum to Philadelphia to be used for young apprentices 
when they were ready to go into business for themselves. 

His Love for Books. — Benjamin now had the oppor- 
tunity to gratify his love for books. He had long been 
spending all the money he could for them. At first he did 
not choose wisely, but as he grew older he learned to buy 
better ones. He never regretted the money so spent. 
One of his brother's customers, Mr. Matthew Adams, who 
used to come often to the printing house, took a liking to 
Benjamin. He invited the boy to his home where he had 
an excellent library. Nothing could have pleased Benja- 
min more. His friend, seeing how fond he was of reading, 
allowed him to borrow as many books as he pleased. This 
was a great privilege as there were no public libraries at 
that time and not so many books as there are now. 



194 HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 

Franklin Writes Poetry. — Poetry was very popular 
and young Franklin set himself to write ballads, which are 
stories told in poetry. This pleased his brother James who 
saw a chance to make some money by the sale of these bal- 
lads. After they were printed Benjamin was sent about the 
town to sell them. Although they were not very good poetry, 
as they told about events which had recently happened in 
Boston, many were sold and Benjamin was quite proud of 
himself. His sensible father, however, told him that what 
he had written was not good verse and that such poets sel- 
dom became wealthy. Benjamin was wise enough to see 
that his father was right. He now tried to improve his 
writing and studied the best models. 

A Young Author. — Very soon Franklin began to con- 
tribute articles to his brother's paper. At first he feared 
they would not be received if it were known that a boy 
had written them, so he used to slip them under the door 
at night after the others had gone. For a long time it was 
thought they were written by a certain clever man who 
often contributed to the "New England Current," as 
James Franklin's paper was called. After a time, how- 
ever, Benjamin admitted that he had written the articles. 
He was praised for his skill and was, of course, very proud 
of himself. 

He Runs Away from Home. — His brother James still 
considered Benjamin but a boy and treated him with very 
little respect. Often, when he was angry, he would beat 
him. Benjamin resented this treatment very much and 
complained to his father. Mr. Franklin took Benjamin's 



BENJAMIN FRANKLIN 195 

part, but James had a violent temper and was not wise 
enough to see that his younger brother was a boy of un- 
usual ability. 

At last, after Benjamin had saved some money, he de- 
termined to run away. With the help of a friend and the 
captain of a ship sailing from Boston to New York he bought 
passage on the vessel and bade goodbye to his native city. 
This looks like a very serious step for a boy of seventeen 
to take, but it seemed to be the only thing that he could do. 

A Long Journey. — When Franklin reached New York 
he went at once to William Bradford, the printer of that 
city, of whom he had heard in his brother's office. Mr. 
Bradford had no work for the boy, but told him of his son 
who was a printer in Philadelphia and who had just lost 
his helper. The boy at once decided to go to Philadelphia. 
Today, to go from New York to Philadelphia means a 
two-hour ride in a railroad train. There were no railroad 
trains then, so it took Franklin five days to make the trip. 
He began the journey in a sailboat which took him to 
Amboy, New Jersey. Before reaching there a storm arose; 
the sail was badly torn and the boat in danger of sinking. 
One of the passengers fell overboard and was rescued by 
Franklin who pulled him in by his hair. The sea was so 
rough that they could not land and had to anchor all night 
with the wind howling around them and the waves dash- 
ing now and again over the boat. When they finally landed 
the next day they had been thirty hours without food or 
water. 

It was not surprising that Benjamin was taken sick 



196 



HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 



and went to bed the next night with a fever. He had 
heard that drinking plenty of cold water was the best 
medicine for fever, and sure enough this wise treatment and 
his own good constitution made him well by morning. He 
now had to travel on foot across New Jersey to the Dela- 
ware river a distance of fifty miles. He there found a 
row-boat bound for Philadelphia. No one in the boat 

seemed to know just where 
Philadelphia was. By night- 
fall they had not yet reached 
the city and had to camp for 
the night on the bank, but by 
nine o'clock the next day the 
city was reached. 

Franklin's Arrival in Phil- 
adelphia. — As Franklin was 
to become one of the most 
distinguished citizens of Phil- 
adelphia as well as one of the 
greatest men in the country, 
I want you to have in his own 
words the story of his first 
appearance in the city. After paying the boatmen for his 
passage he had entered a baker shop and asked for three- 
penny worth of bread. They gave him three big puffy 
rolls. He says, "I was surpriz'd at the quantity, but took 
it, and, having no room in my pockets, walk'd off with a 
roll under each arm, and eating the other. Thus I went 
up Market-street as far as Fourth-street, passing by the 




Franklin Arrives in Philadelphia. 



BENJAMIN FRANKLIN 197 

door of Mr. Read, my future wife's father; when she, 
standing at the door, saw me, and thought I made, as I 
certainly did, a most awkward, rediculous appearance. 
Then I turned and went down Chestnut-street and part of 
Walnut-street, eating my roll all the way, and, coming 
round, found myself again at Market-street warf, near 
the boat I came in, to which I went for a draught of the 
river water; and, being filled with one of my rolls, gave 
the other two to a woman and her child that came down 
the river in the boat with us, and were waiting to go farther. 

"Thus refreshed, I walked again up the street, which 
by this time had many clean-dressed people in it, who were 
all walking the same way. I joined them, and thereby was 
led into the great meeting-house of the Quakers near the 
market. I sat down among them, and, after looking round 
awhile and hearing nothing said, being very drowsy thro' 
labor and want of rest the preceding night, I fell fast asleep, 
and continu'd so till the meeting broke up, 
when one was kind enough to rouse me. 
This was, therefore, the first house I was 
in, or slept in, in Philadelphia." 

He Finds Work. — When Franklin ap- 
plied at Bradford's, the Printer's, he found 
the position filled. There was, however, 
another printer in the town, named Keimer, 
with whom he got work. Keimer' s printing house had in it 
one old press which Keimer did not know how to use. He 
had also one small worn out font or set of type. He was a 
peculiar man and not likely ever to be very successful. He 




198 HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 

was dirty and untidy in his habits; careless in his accounts, 
and did very poor work. Young Franklin helped him, 
however, and actually taught him to use his press. 

A Visit from the Governor. — It happened that one of 
Benjamin's sisters had married the master of a ship that 
sailed between Boston and Delaware. His name was 
Robert Homes. At one time when his vessel was at New- 
castle, Delaware, he heard that Benjamin was in Phila- 
delphia and wrote to him, urging him to come back to his 
family in Boston. Franklin replied telling him why he had 
left home and said that he would remain where he was as 
he was doing very well. Sir William Keith, governor of 
Pennsylvania, happened to be with Captain Homes when 
he received this letter. When he learned that the boy 
who had written it was less than eighteen years old he was 
surprised. He said the letter showed him to be a young 
man of promise and ability; that there were no good printers 
at Philadelphia and if this boy would set up there a print- 
ing shop of his own he was sure he would succeed. The 
governor even promised him the public printing. 

It was not long before Governor Keith paid a visit to 
Keimer's place, but, instead of asking to see the pro- 
prietor, he called for young Franklin. They went to a 
hotel nearby and there the governor suggested to Benja- 
min that he get his father to forward the necessary money 
to start a printing shop for his son. Franklin was very 
proud of the interest which the governor took in him and 
after a little persuasion he took ship back to Boston bear- 
ing a letter from Governor Keith to his father. 



BENJAMIN FRANKLIN 199 

A Return to Boston. — His unexpected appearance sur- 
prised his family and his brother James was not a bit 
pleased to see him so well dressed and so independent. 
His father read the governor's letter which praised Benja- 
min very highly, but he was not willing to advance so 
much money to a boy so young. He rather thought the 
governor unwise in urging such a thing. So Franklin had 
to return disappointed to Philadelphia. 

A Governor's Promise. — When Governor Keith heard 
of Mr. Franklin's refusal he said he would supply the 
money himself. He asked Franklin if it would not be 
better for him to go to London himself to select his press 
and types. Of course, there were no such things made in 
this country at that time and all machinery had to be 
brought from England. Franklin said he thought it would 
indeed be better for him to make his own purchases. The 
governor then made arrangements to have him sail on the 
next ship and promised to supply him with the necessary 
money. 

At last the day for the sailing of the ship arrived. 
Franklin had asked several times for the money, but each 
time the governor had been too busy. Now he sent word 
by his secretary that he would send it with the necessary 
letters on board the ship. Franklin, therefore, went on 
board and the ship sailed. When the governor's mail-bag 
was opened there were no letters nor was there any money 
for Benjamin. How frightened and disappointed he must 
have been. Captain French, a friend of the governor's 
and whom Franklin had met in Philadelphia, was a pas- 



200 



HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 



senger on the same ship. He told Franklin that the gover- 
nor frequently broke his promises. He did not mean to be 
dishonest, but he always pretended to have more money 
and more influence than he had. This did not help Benja- 
min, however, and it was a contemptible trick for a man 

like Keith to play on a poor 
innocent boy. 

In London. — Franklin was 
now in London and it was 
necessary for him to find some 
employment to support him- 
self. As he was a printer he 
went to one of the large print- 
ing houses where he not only 
found a position but was able 
to advance himself quickly be- 
cause of his skill and industry. 
Franklin soon made friends in 
London as he had in Philadel- 
phia. One of these friends 
borrowed so much money from 
Franklin that he was unable 
to save enough to pay his 
passage back. 

Mr. Denham, a Quaker merchant, who had come over 
on the same ship and who had become friendly to Franklin 
on the voyage, continued to take an interest in the boy. 
At last, after about a year and a half in London, Mr. Den- 
ham proposed to Franklin that he should return with him 




Franklin in London. 



BENJAMIN FRANKLIN 201 

to Philadelphia and become his clerk. Franklin liked Mr. 
Denham and was anxious to return to America, so arrange- 
ments were made. 

Back in Philadelphia. — When they got back to Phila- 
delphia Franklin decided that he had given up the print- 
ing business forever. He worked hard for Mr. Denham as 
he had always done for all his employers, but it was not 
long before both Franklin and Mr. Denham were taken 
seriously sick. Franklin, after a long illness, recovered, but 
Mr. Denham died. In his will he left some money to the 
boy, but the business passed into other hands and young 
Franklin was again without a position. 

A Printer Again. — Keimer now offered him the place 
of foreman in his shop at a good salary. Although Franklin 
did not like Keimer, he accepted. He soon found he was 
to teach a number of new hands and when they had learned 
the work he would be discharged. It happened, however, 
that one of these men whose name was Meredith, liked 
Franklin and suggested to him that they go into the 
printing business together, he to supply the money which 
he would get from his father, and Franklin to supply the 
skill and knowledge. Nothing was said to Keimer. The 
press and types were secured from England and a shop rented 
in the rear of 53 Market street. Here the two young men set 
up in business, a business in which two printers were already 
failing. Young Franklin, however, had made many friends 
and was not afraid of hard work and, although his partner 
was too fond of drinking, the new firm succeeded from the 
first. 



202 HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 



THE 



Numb XL. 



Pennfylvania GAZETTE. 

Containing the frejhejl Advices Foreign and Dome flick. 

From Thurfday, September aj. to Thurfday, October a. 1720. 



T 



H E Pennfylvania Gazette Vcittg ndw to 
be (arrj'i on by other Haua% the Reader, 
may expetlfemc Account of the Method we 



There are many who have hug defired to fee a 
good Neva-Taper tn Pennfylvania, and vis hope 
thofe Gvtlemen who are able,, will contribute to- 



The Pennsylvania Gazette. — It was determined to pub- 
lish a newspaper. Bradford had already published one for 
some years. It was a very poor paper, but, because it was 
the only thing of its kind, it was a success. Keimer, too, 
hearing of Franklin's scheme, decided he would print a 
paper. It was not successful, however, and in a short time 
the new printers were able to buy it. It was now called 
the Pennsylvania Gazette. We have already seen that 
Franklin was a skillful writer and his contributions made 
the paper popular at once. 

Poor Richard's Almanac. — Besides publishing a news- 
paper Franklin determined to print an almanac. Almanacs 
were very popular in those days when there were no maga- 
zines and people had very little to read. Almanacs not only 
told when the sun would rise and set each day of the year, 
but they were filled with a lot of other useful information. 



BENJAMIN FRANKLIN 



203 



Poor Richard, 173?. 

A N 

Almanack 

Foi thcVcarofChrift 

1 



733 



Franklin's almanac, besides the usual things, contained bits 
of wise and homely advice that rank with the most famous 
proverbs of any language. He called it Poor Richard's 
Almanac and the wisdom 
of Poor Richard is today 
known all over the world. 

In Business for Him- 
self. — It was not long- 
before Franklin's friends 
came to him and sug- 
gested that he buy out 
his partner, Meredith. He 
was not suited to the bus- 
iness and despite all that 
Franklin could do he 
would frequently be seen 
drunk in the streets. 
franklin's friends offered 
to lend him the necessary 
money. Meredith, who 
saw that he was not suited 
to the printing business, 
was willing to sell. In 
this way Franklin became 
the sole proprietor of the 
little shop. 

The First Book Shop. — In connection with his 



Being the Firft after I E AP YEAR: 

jfnJ moles Jinrr thr Creotiem Years 

Bythe Accounr of the E flfn G*e*k$ 3241 

By the Latin Church, <*hen O cm t <$032 

By the Computation of Hf H? 5742 

By the Roman Chronology j6"8z 

By the Jewifb Rabbit* ' ^04 

Wherein is contained 
The Lunations, "Eclipfcs, Judgment of 

the Weather, Spring Tide<, Planets Morion* & 
mutual AfpcQs, Sun and Moon's Rifing and Set- 
ting, Length of Days, Time of High Water, 
Fairs, Courts, and obfcrvable Day* 

Fitted tothe Latitude. ol Porn Degrees, 
and a Meridian- of Five Hour* VVrft fiat* /a*d<m. 
hut mav without lenfiMe Error (crveah the ad- 
jacent Place*, even, from Newfoundland to South- 
Carolina. 



By RlCH4RDSJUNDERS,Ph\\om. 



PHILADELPHIA: 
Punted and fold by B FRJNKllH. at the New 
Printing Office neai the Market 



little 



business Franklin now opened a stationery store next to 
Christ Church where blanks, paper, pens and books were 



204 HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 

sold. This was the only book store in Philadelphia at that 
time and it soon became famous. Indeed, Franklin says at 
the time he established himself, there was not a good book- 
seller's shop in any of the colonies south of Boston. Those 

i who loved reading were obliged to send to England for their 

' books. 

The Philadelphia Library. — All his life he had loved 
books. It was his knowledge of their contents and the 
graceful speech which he learned from them that made 
him, even when a boy, the favorite of wise and able men. 
There were no libraries at that time and he determined to 
found one. A group of young men, who, like himself, were 
fond of reading, were each persuaded to subscribe ten 
dollars and to pay five dollars a year. With this money 
books were bought in London and were loaned to sub- 
scribers. The idea quickly became popular. People gave 
books to the library in order to have its privileges. Libra- 
ries were founded in other towns. Today this same 
library that Franklin began in the eighteenth century is 
housed in a fine building at Juniper and Locust Streets and 
is called the Philadelphia Library. It is now so easy for 
anyone to have the best books to read by going to the 
public libraries that it is hard to believe that there was 
ever a time when books could not be borrowed in this way. 
It is to Benjamin Franklin that we owe the first library in 
Philadelphia and the idea which has spread to every city 
of the country. 

A Useful Citizen. — The boy Franklin had now become a 
man, and although young was respected by all the sub- 



BENJAMIN FRANKLIN 



205 



^ 



stantial men of the city. Although he was very indus- 
trious in his own business he was also interested in every- 
thing that happened in the city and was willing to give his 
time and thought to any improvement that was suggested. 

The Streets. — He saw that the streets were very dirty. 
In those days no one ever thought of sweeping the streets, 
and it was seldom that they were even paved. Each man 
took care of the street in front of his own house if he chose 
to. Franklin decided this important matter ought to be 
cared for by the city. He succeeded in having the streets 
paved and regularly swept twice a week. 

There was also no method of lighting the streets at 
night. The public houses had lanterns in front of them 
and now and then a private 
house would have a lantern 
at the gate. Franklin said the 
city ought to light the streets 
by lamps placed at regular in- 
tervals and tended to by men 
employed by the city. Of 
course they had no gas, but 
Franklin invented an oil lamp 
which would not blow out nor 
would it smoke, because of a 
current of fresh air which pass- 
ed through it . The streets were 
then lighted by these lamps. 

The Night Watch. — In those days there were no police- 
men and it was frequently unsafe to go abroad at night, 




The Night Watch. 



206 HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 

Franklin organized the night watch as it was called, a 
group of men who patrolled the streets at night and made 
it safe for people to walk about. Out of this night watch 
has grown o.ur present police department with its hundreds 
of uniformed officers and its station-houses all over the city. 

A Fire Company. — Neither were there fire-engines in 
those days. Fires were put out by carrying water in buck- 
ets and pouring it on the fire. As most of the buildings 
were made of wood there was much loss from fire, so Frank- 
lin organized a fire company. The men who belonged to 
the company drilled every week and held themselves ready 
to go at once to any fire and help put it out. Later, engines 
which were at first simply hand pumps on wheels, were 
used to force the water through hoses to the upper stories 
of burning buildings. These volunteer fire companies con- 
tinued for many years and were finally organized into the 
fire department as we have it today. 

The Academy of Philadelphia.— His interest in books 
made him interested in education. He was responsible for 
the founding in 1751 of an academy on Fourth Street which 
many years later was to become the University of Penn- 
sylvania now housed in its many buildings in West Phila- 
delphia. 

The Franklin Stove. — Franklin was interested in all 
sciences and his active mind was always ready to examine 
into a new idea. We have already seen how he invented a 
smokeless street lamp. With the same idea in mind he 
also invented an open stove for the better warming of 
rooms. You must know that coal as fuel was unknown in 



BENJAMIN FRANKLIN 



207 




Franklin's Stove. 



those days. The only means of heating houses was the 
open fire-place in which logs of wood were kept burning. 
This was never a very satisfactory method 
and houses were usually very cold in win- 
ter. Franklin's stove also burned wood, 
but by means of a special draft it kept an 
even fire and consumed far less fuel. It was 
an instant success and in a few years there 
was scarcely a house in the city which did 
not have one of Franklin's stoves. Indeed, 
they are used even yet in parts of the coun- 
try where coal is very expensive and wood 
is still used for fuel. 

Experiments with Electricity. — By making experiments 

with glass tubes and jars he de- 
cided that electricity came from 
the clouds. This he proved by fly- 
ing a silken kite with a key and a 
piece of silk ribbon fastened to the 
string near his hand. During a 
thunderstorm while the kite flew 
high in the air he got a spark from 
the key. From this came the use 
of lightning rods which are fast- 
ened to the sides of buildings. The 
pointed end at the top draws the 
electricity from the clouds and car- 
ies it to the ground. 
Postmaster. — Franklin was chosen Postmaster of Phila- 




Franklin's Kite Experiment. 



208 HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 

delphia and filled the office so successfully that he was 
appointed by the government to be the general postmaster 
for the colonies. At this time the postal service was very 
poor. The government lost money on it and the people 
were not satisfied with the service. Franklin so improved 
the service that he not only made it profitable to the gov- 
ernment but also pleased the people who received their 
mail more regularly and more often. 

All this time while he was planning and working on 
these things for the public good his printing business and 
book shop continued to prosper. Benjamin Franklin may 
well be regarded as a very busy man and a very useful 
citizen. He had justly earned the confidence which his 
fellow citizens had placed in him and was ready for the yet 
greater work which was to distinguish his later life. 




LIFE IN THE COLONIES 

Homes of the People 

If your family were to move to Boston next week you 
would make no plans to build a house when you got there. 
Boston has many houses just like Philadelphia and your 
father would probably rent one of these, where your mother 
and your brothers and sisters, and you, would be quite as 
comfortable as you are here. But in the colonial days this 
was not so. Men then left comfortable homes to go out into 
the wilderness where there was not even a tent to shelter 
them. Let us see what kind of homes these men built. 

Building the Home. — At first there was always the ship 
in which they had come. To this they could return each 
night until houses had been built. Each day the men would 
go into £he forests carrying axes; certain trees of the proper 
size would be marked and these felled and cut to the desired 
length. Each man planned his own house, but they were 
all much alike. At first a space had to be cleared; the trees 
cut down and the stumps burned. Then four stout posts 
were planted in the ground where the four corners of the 
house were to be. Two other shorter posts made the door- 
way. Logs were now laid lengthwise and fitted at the 
corners. Square spaces were cut for windows. A sloping 
roof of lighter logs and twigs was laid on top. Mud and 
sticky clay mixed with twigs and grass would now be smeared 

209 



210 



HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 



in the spaces between the logs. This would keep out the 
wind and rain and snow. 

The Fire-place. — Most important of all, however, was 
the fire-place. This was made of stones if possible, other- 
wise of clay. It was built into one side of the house, usually 
opposite the door, and the chimney, made of logs cov- 
ered with clay, reached up through the roof. This was the 
usual house that the settlers built when they first arrived 
in America. Occasionally 
circumstances would change 







the plan. In New England i[[ i-ft5^^ 7r-^=^. £pSf ■'' 

round smooth stones are to 
be found in great quanti- 
ties. There it was often 
easier to build the whole 
house of stone. We have 
already seen how the early 
settlers in Philadelphia 0Id Fire "P lace - 

made caves in the river bank. These had log fronts and 
doors and their chimneys extended through the earthen roof. 
A Cozy Room. — Although a log hut does not sound very 
comfortable, many of them were quite cozy and the boys and 
girls who lived in them were just as happy as you are today. 
In the first place there was lots of good food to eat and it was 
much cheaper then than now. When the boys came home 
from school or were tired of playing in the clearing they 
would find the log cabin a fine place. From the ceiling 
hung strings of dried apples, pumpkins and peppers; a 
smoked ham and a side of bacon; or perhaps a piece of fresh 



LIFE IN THE COLONIES 211 

venison from the deer father shot the day before. Around 
the fire-place hung all kinds of pots and kettles which mother 
used in cooking. In the fire-place itself was the crane, a 
heavy iron frame with a long iron hook which extended over 
the fire, on which to hang the kettle. 

Around the Fire. — Usually the fire-places were so big 
that seats were built into each side on which the family could 
sit on cold winter nights and toast their toes before the 
blazing logs. Late in the summer when the harvest had 
been gathered the men would cut the fire-wood and pile it 
up near the kitchen door to be within easy reach on the 
cold and stormy winter days. These were the times when 
father would tell stories of life across the sea, of kings and 
queens and palaces, of knights in armor and brave deeds in 
battle. Or, perhaps, he would tell of persecution, of long 
months in foul prisons, of flight and hiding from the danger 
of death. How the children must have thrilled at the ter- 
rors which their parents faced, for the men and women who 
came to America had needed much courage and great faith 
to bring them to the wilderness and keep them strong and 
happy there. 

But if you have had much experience with fire-places 
you know that the heat does not reach far. Near the fire 
you are warm enough, but in the corners of the room away 
from the blaze it remains cold. To keep a whole room warm 
stoves were invented. At first Dutch stoves from Holland 
made of iron or china tiles, and then the Franklin stoves of 
Philadelphia, in which coal as well as wood could be burned. 

Light. — The fire-place not only provided heat, but most 



212 HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 

of the light as well. Lamps were unknown and blazing 
pine-knots held in a forked stick and stuck in the wall were 
used to light a room. These were also carried whenever 
anyone needed to go out of doors at night. Later, oil made 
from fish came into use and was burned in Betty lamps which 
were like a shallow bowl with a spout for the wick. These 
gave very little light and smelt rather badly, but they were 
better than nothing. Candles then came into fashion made 
of tallow poured into molds. The best light came from the 
use of sperm or whale oil. Hunting for whales on long 
voyages in the north Atlantic Ocean became a great industry 
and many whaling vessels sailed from New England and 
brought back rich cargoes of oil. A new lamp with centre 
draft invented by a Frenchman named Argand, used with 
sperm oil, gave a very bright light. 

It is hard for us to realize the great difference between 
our homes today and those of our ancestors in the days of the 
colonies. Yet home life is much the same now as it was then. 
If boys and girls have loving fathers and mothers to care 
for them it makes very little difference whether they live in 
a brick house with all the modern conveniences or in a log 
hut in a forest clearing. 

PREPARING MEALS 

Nowadays mother looks at the clock to see whether it is 
time to get ready the dinner for her hungry boys and girls. 

When There Were No Clocks.— In the days before 
clocks were invented time was told by sun-dials out of doors 
and within the house by noon marks on the cabin floor 



LIFE IN THE COLONIES 213 

and by hour-glasses. When mother found by these signs it 
was time to start the kettle boiling she did not strike a 
match to light the fire for these handy little helps had not 
been thought of. 

Starting the Fire Without Matches. — They tried to keep 
the fire on the hearth always burning, for if it happened to 
go out much trouble was caused in starting it again. This 
was the way it had to be done. A piece of flint and a piece 
of steel were struck together on the edges and the spark 
caught on soft linen rags and then blown into a flame. 
It was not easy to do this and as one writer has said, "If 
you had good luck you could get a light in half an hour." 

Matches came slowly into use because at first they were 
very expensive, but they are now so cheap and useful we 
wonder how people ever got along without them. 

Dutch Oven or Roasting Kitchen. — When father brought 
home the deer or the bear he had shot while hunting in the 
woods it would be cut into proper sized pieces which mother 
would roast in the Dutch oven. This was a sort of iron box 
open on one side which would be turned to the fire. 

The roast would hang in these ovens fastened to a spit 
and turned by a handle on the outside of the box so that the 
meat was cooked on all sides and all through. 

Plenty of Food for the Keen Appetites. — Many wild ani- 
mals roamed through the forests and quantities of birds were 
always flying about. These, with the fish that were caught 
in abundance in the sea and rivers, gave the early settlers 
plenty of good food at small expense. We are told that a 
fine Thanksgiving turkey could be had for twenty-five cents. 



214 



HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 



The little fellows, hungry from their long tramp from 
school through the snow and cold wind, would stand before 
the big fire-place. With eager faces they watched the 
venison roasting in the oven or the soup boiling in the 
kettle which hung on the crane. The delicious odors from 
the roast would reach their hungry noses while the sparks 
from the blazing logs flew up the great chimney to the cold 
air of the winter night. 

At the Table. — Furniture was very simple and mostly 
home-made in the American colonies. The dining table 
was merely boards laid on 
trestles such as you see at 
picnic grounds in the park. 
The good things to eat were 
not always served on china 
plates but in trenchers, 
which were blocks of wood 
hollowed out into a sort of 
bowl. There were spoons 
and knives but no forks, so 
the people at the table used their fingers to take the choice 
bits from the trenchers to their mouths. We are now told 
that it is not polite to touch the food with our hands, but 
this change of manners is simply due to our having better 
tools to eat with. 

DRESS 

In the early days the clothes worn by most of the settlers 
were truly home-made. Some of the Virginia men and 
women who wanted to dress in fine style would send to 




Colonial China. 



LIFE IN THE COLONIES 215 

England for linens, silks, and cloth and have them made into 
handsome clothes as was then the fashion in Europe. 

The Gay Cavaliers. — When dressed up in these fancy 
clothes the men looked as gay as the women. They wore 
bright colored velvet coats and waistcoats, velvet or silk 
breeches, silk stockings, plumes on their hats, ruffles on 
their shirts, and silver buckles on their shoes. But these 
were not the men who first cleared the forests and built the 
rough cabins we have learned about. Silks and velvets 
would not last long under such conditions, and the men who 
wore them were usually careful to live in the larger cities 
where they were protected from the Indians and where they 
could find others to work for them while they lived their 
gay lives of pleasure. 

Most of the men who came to America had to work hard 
building their homes, hunting food for their families, and 
protecting their wives and children from savage foes. The 
women, on the other hand, worked just as hard at the many 
things to be done inside the house. Such people were not 
pleased with the fine looking folks who were always hand- 
somely dressed and who did very little work. Some of the 
colonies made laws against the wearing of these fine clothes. 

Home Grown and Home Spun. — In those days the 
farmers raised wool and flax. Their wives and daughters 
spun them into yarn and thread, knit these into stockings 
and mittens or wove them into linen or cloth. This was 
then made into clothing. Many housewives had hand 
looms to weave cloth at home and in almost every cabin or 
cottage could be found a spinning wheel for making yarn out 



216 HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 

of wool or thread out of flax. Tailors were few and the 
women of the household made most of the clothing for the 
husband, the children, and themselves. You can well 
imagine there were not many idle moments in such a home. 
Hard work was the price of success then as it is now. 

Peculiarities of Dress. — The various people who came to 
America dressed as they had been accustomed to in their 
home country. The Swedes who settled on the Delaware 
wore short leather breeches, while the women wore leather 
jackets and leather skirts. The Dutch, on tLe other hand, 
wore the loose baggy trousers, heavy woolen stockings, and 
wooden shoes of Holland. Their wives and daughters dressed 
in the tight waists and full skirts still to be seen in that 
country. 

The English people did not seem so strange in their 
plain clothes of heavy woolen goods. To be sure the men 
wore Knickerbockers with heavy stockings and stout shoes, 
but, of course, no one wore long trousers in those days. 

Now and again you might see a trapper who was used 
to taking long trips into the forest. He dressed much as 
the Indians did, in deerskin coat and leggings, moccasins on 
his feet and a fur cap on his head. But only the restless 
hunters and trappers dressed in this way and they never 
stayed long in the big settlements. They were always 
anxious to get back to the forest whose silence and danger 
they seemed to love. 

Washington's Soldiers in Home-made Uniforms. — When 
we look at our soldier bo} r s today in their fine well-fitting 
uniforms of good khaki cloth we may think of the soldiers 



LIFE IN THE COLONIES 217 

of the Revolution who fought under General Washington. 
There were no big mills then to quickly make the cloth 
needed for the soldiers' clothes. In many of the cottages 
throughout the country the spinning wheel and the hand 
loom were kept at work by the busy American women, 
making cloth for uniforms. Perhaps the coat and breeches 
did not look as neat and well fitting as they would if made 
by machines in a mill, but they kept the patriot army warm 
in the cold days of winter while the war lasted. 

Home Spun Still Worn in Philadelphia. — Not many of 
the farmers' wives in these days spend their time in this 
kind of work. Big factories now turn out cloth and knit 
goods cheaper and better than they can be made at home. 
In some parts of Pennsylvania the German settlers who came 
to this country soon after William Penn arrived still use the 
spinning wheel and hand loom in their homes. These 
Dunkards and Menonites are often seen in the streets of 
Philadelphia. Their odd clothes of home spun are very 
different from the present day fashions and make them at 
once peculiar and interesting. 

TRAVELING IN THE COLONIES 

How strange it would be if there were no trolley cars or 
automobiles or steam railroad trains! How could we go to 
Willow Grove Park and hear the fine music and see the 
beautiful fountain? How could we get to Fairmount Park 
in the hot summer time and enjoy a picnic in the shade of 
the fine old trees? How could we take a summer trip to the 
country or to the seashore? 



218 HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 

When Travelling was Done on Horse-back. — Yet there 
was a time when the only way of travelling was on horse- 
back or else by paddling a canoe on one of the many 
streams. There were no parks in those days and people 
did not go far away from home. The roads were simply 
paths through the forests and travelling was not safe because 
of wild beasts and Indians. 

Rivers the Best Highways of Travel. — At first the set- 
tlements were along the banks of rivers and boats could 
be used in going from one place to another. In fair 
weather with good wind a sail was raised to help the boat 
along. As more people kept coming into the country from 
the old world they settled farther inland where there were no 
waterways to make travel easy. 

The Sedan-chair. — Wealthy ladies and gentlemen who 
did not wish to travel far but wanted to avoid the mud and 
dirt of the unpaved streets went about in 
Sedan-chairs. These were closed boxes large 
enough to sit in. They had windows and 
were often handsomely cushioned. They 
were carried by servants in uniform who 

Sedan-chair. i i tc 1 c i 

would lilt them irom the ground by long 
stout poles passed through rings on each side. In this way 
the lady or gentleman could go about without soiling hand- 
some satin shoes in the mud of the city streets. 

A Ride On the Stage Coach. — When the roads were wide 
enough it was possible to travel by stage coach. These 
coaches were not very large nor were they very comfortable 
notwithstanding the huge springs that curled up in front and 




LIFE IN THE COLONIES 



219 



behind. Inside were two wooden seats on which the pas- 
sengers sat looking out of the small high windows as the 
coach lurched along. High in front and up in back were the 
seats for the driver and footman or guards. These men 
were usually armed with muskets and pistols, for the roads 
were lonely and highwaymen not unknown, even in the 
more thickly settled districts where there was little danger 
from the Indians. The wheels of the coach had very wide 
tires for the roads were not paved and frequently became so 




Old Time Stage Coach. 



muddy that a narrow wheel would sink in above the hub and 
have to be dug out before the coach could continue. 

It was nevertheless lots of fun, especially if you were a 
boy and were allowed to ride up with the driver and see him 
crack his long whip over the four prancing horses. The coach 
would rattle over the cobble-stones of the city streets until 
the open country was reached when the only sounds would 
be the thud of the horses' hoofs and the creak of the wheels. 
You had to sit tight and keep a sharp lookout, for the ruts in 
the road would often lurch the coach enough to throw you off 



220 HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 

if you were not holding on. The driver who had to use both 
hands was usually strapped to his seat to save him from just 
such an accident. 

When noon-time came you would be glad to stop at a 
wayside inn and eat a good dinner while fresh horses were 
hitched to the coach. Many of these journeys took several 
days. Perhaps you were going to grandfather's farm in 
Virginia where the children were to spend a happy holiday. 
If so you would eagerly watch as you rolled along up hill and 
down dale for the lane that led to the old homestead. The 
coach would pull up with a great stamping of horses' hoofs 
and you would be helped down from the high seat. One of 
grandfather's colored servants would be there to help you 
with your luggage and soon the coachman would crack his 
whip and the coach would be off down the road in a cloud of 
dust. 

The Post Chaise. — Another way of travelling beside the 
stage coach was by post chaise. If you had plenty of money 
you could hire a chaise which was simply a two wheeled 
carriage drawn by a horse on whose back sat the driver who 
was called a post boy. As the various inns would be reached 
along the road the horse and rider would be replaced by 
fresh horses and other post boys until the journej^'s end. 
This was probably the fastest way of travelling and was 
used by government officials and business men who had to 
move quickly from place to place. 

The Conestoga Wagon. — As the country began to be 
filled up with people some way had to be found for carrying 
heavy goods such as furniture, boxes of food, and other 



LIFE IN THE COLONIES 221 

things which could not be carried on the backs of horses or 
were too large for the stage coach. To meet this need there 
came into use in Pennsylvania the Conestoga wagon which 
has been called "the finest wagon the world has ever known." 
It had broad wheel tires and over the top was stretched a 
canvass cover tied down to the sides and ends with cords. 
It was drawn by four and sometimes six horses. These 
wagons were large and strong. They carried not only all the 
household goods but the women and children as well. The 
meals were cooked in them and at night when they were in 
camp, while one of the men watched, all the others slept in 
the wagon. 

Whenever a band of people would decide to go far west 
each family would have its own wagon. They travelled 
one behind the other and to see a long train of these white 
canvass tops crossing the plains reminded one of a fleet of 
ships and they came to be called "prairie schooners." 

SCHOOLS 

It is hard for boys and girls who go to school today in the 
handsome fire-proof buildings with their heating and 
ventilating systems, their assembly rooms, shops, kitchens, 
and play rooms, with every convenience and every comfort, 
to realize the kind of schools that children attended in 
colonial days. 

School Houses. — Like the homes, the school houses were 
often log cabins. The floor was of earth and often became 
thick with dust which the scholars would take delight in 
stirring up to the annoyance of the teacher, Into the spaces 



222 HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 

between the logs of the walls two or three feet from the 
floor, poles were driven upon which a board was laid. This 
was the desk at which a pupil sat with his back to the teacher 
who sat in the center of the room. As glass was expensive 
and hard to get, the windows were closed with oiled paper 
which let in a feeble light even on bright days. A fire-place 
gave what heat there was. The wood had to be provided by 
the pupils and those who brought no logs for the fire were 
forced to sit in the cold corners of the room. 

Books, too, were scarce. Each child began school with 
what was called a horn book. This was a board two inches 
wide and three or four inches long to which was fastened a 
single sheet of printed paper. On the paper was the alphabet 
in both small and large letters, some syllables, and the Lord's 
Prayer. To keep the paper clean and to prevent its tearing 
a thin piece of horn completely covered it and was bound to 
the board by a brass edge. At the lower side was a stubby 
little handle. This handle usually had a hole in it through 
which a string passed. This was then hung about the neck 
of the child. It was important that he should not lose his 
horn book, for after he had learned his letters and could read 
the Lord's Prayer the book would be passed on to his small 
brothers and sisters for them to have the same experience. 

Slates were used and slate pencils, but it was not un- 
likely that the pupils of a school would have to go out into 
the nearby woods and find birch bark on which to write and 
cipher. Occasionally the pupils would have paper upon 
which they would write with quill pens. The teacher would 
have to sharpen these pens with a "pen"-knife which he 



LIFE IN THE COLONIES 



223 



kept on his desk. There were no text-books except for the 
older pupils and there were no globes or maps, and no black- 
boards. 

School Teachers. — Few people had more than a very 
simple education in those days. To read a little and write a 
little less; to cast accounts, which meant the easiest exercises 
in arithmetic; this was all that most people knew and all that 
was taught in most of the schools. In many places people 

were opposed to 
having their 
children edu- 
cated. Even the 
Quakers, who 
were among the 
first to establish 
schools, did not 
wish their chil- 
dren to learn 
more than every 
child in the 
Fourth Grade knows today. The Pennsylvania Germans 
said it spoiled their children for work on the farms if they 
had much schooling. 

Of course, when people felt this way about their schools 
they cared very little what kind of teachers they had. The 
teachers were often criminals or indentured servants which 
were little better than slaves. They were ignorant and, as 
no one expected much of them, they made no effort to do their 
work well. The schoolmasters were often cruel men and the 




Old-time School-room. 



224 HEROES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY 

children would be thrashed for the slightest offences. Some- 
times the teacher would whip every child in the school before 
they went home for the day. The poor children had to learn 
for themselves as well as they could without much help from 
the master and with still less help from their parents at home. 
It is wonderful that they learned anything at all and we are 
not surprised to find that very few could write well and none 
knew how to spell. This was even true of the wisest and 
best men of the times. Boys and girls of today may be very 
glad they do not live in colonial times and have to go to 
school in those old log school houses. There was not much 
pleasure and very little profit to be gained from the long 
hours spent in such schools. 



THE END 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 




